₹26 lakh looted from IDBI Bank in Batala

BATALA : In a broad daylight robbery, four armed masked men barged into an IDBI bank branch at Jaito Sarja village, around 10km from the city, and looted ₹26 lakh on Friday. The bank, which was without a guard, falls under the Ranger Nangal police station. The men used a Hyundai i-20 car in the crime, according to shopkeepers near the bank.

The shopkeepers informed the police, after which a mobile team of the Batala police rushed to the spot and tried to intercept the miscreants.

However, the men gave the police team the slip, using the umpteen link roads that dot the crime spot. At the time of the robbery, there were five employees in the bank.

Two of the miscreants entered the bank first and pointed a pistol at the cashier, asking him to handover all the cash in the bank.

Witnesses said, a minute later, two others entered and cornered the other employees by pointing their guns at them as well.

A terrified cashier handed over ₹26 lakh to them and before fleeing, the miscreants broke the

CCTV cameras installed in the bank and also took away the DVR.

IG (border range) Amritsar, Surinderpal Singh Parmar, who was in the city in a function, rushed to the spot and sounded an alert in the district.

Within minutes, nakas were laid on all roads leading to Amritsar, Jalandhar and Gurdaspur.

Batala SSP Opinderjeet Singh

Ghumman said, “Leads have emerged. On the statement of assistant bank manager, Ishan Mahindra, the police have booked unidentified people under sections 392 (robbery), 427 (mischied causing damage to the amount of Rs 50) and the Arms Act. A special team has been formed to crack the case.”

“The role of insiders cannot be ruled out. We are questioning the bank staff,” he added.

THE MEN GAVE THE POLICE TEAM THE SLIP, USING THE UMPTEEN LINK ROADS THAT DOT THE CRIME SPOT. AT THE TIME OF THE ROBBERY, THERE WERE 5 EMPLOYEES INSIDE THE BANK