Anand bank loot: 3 robbers lock staff in vault, loot Rs 90 lakh

VADODARA/ANAND: In a daring bank robbery, three armed persons looted nearly Rs 90 lakh cash from the Bandhan Bank in ‘Milk City’ Anand on Sunday. The robbers barged into the branch of Kolkata-headquartered private bank located on 100-feet road when two customer relation officers – Anuj Patel and Shabnam Pathan – and two cashiers – Rajvi Shah and Shahnawaz Bhatiyara – were present.
Police said two robbers, who had covered their faces with handkerchiefs, entered the branch and brought down the shutter. They asked the four employees in Hindi to not raise an alarm and demanded the vault’s keys. When the bank staffers did not respond, one of them took out a knife and another pulled out a country-made gun. Shah handed over one bunch of keys to them when threatened and then the third robber also entered.
The four staffers were asked to sit together on a sofa and not move. When the vault did not open, one of them came back asking for second bunch of keys. Shah, who had hidden the keys in the dustbin, had to bring them out as the robbers threatened to kill them. As the vault opened, Shah and Pathan were tied with a cloth in storage room and Patel and Bhatiyara in the pantry.
The robbers then entered the vault and came out after a while with cash. They then locked the four staffers inside the vault and switched off the lights. The robbery came to light only when Pathan called up her husband who rushed to the bank and informed manager of Vidyanagar branch.
Cops said the vault contained Rs1.1 crore cash, but the robbers did not touch Rs21.16 lakh. They also fled with digital video recorder of CCTV cameras installed in the branch manager’s cabin.
Bank officials told police that the branch remains open on Saturday and Sunday as well and that no security guard has been hired by the bank.
“We have alerted police in neighbouring districts and started combing rural areas besides checking in the town. The robbers are believed to be aged in their 30s,” said DySP B D Jadeja.