₹4.8 LAKH LOOTED FROM BANK IN MOHALI
IN BROAD DAYLIGHT Wielding a gun and knife, masked duo enter all-women branch with no guard during lunch break; after filling money in suitcase, flee in car; none of 5 staffers hurt
MOHALI: Two armed men fled with ₹4.8 lakh in a broad daylight robbery at the Punjab National Bank’s all-women branch in Phase 3A on Wednesday.
It took the duo just three minutes to orchestrate the crime as they entered the bank during the lunch break at 1:42pm and left by 1:45pm. There was no security guard deputed outside the branch, situated on a secluded stretch near Hotel Cama.
The incident comes a week after burglars decamped with an automated teller machine with over ₹16 lakh from a PNB branch in Dappar on the ChandigarhAmbala highway on June 10.
Five women employees were present in the bank, when the accused, wearing face masks and gloves, reached there. While one pointed a gun and knife at the cashier and asked her to hand over the money, the other threatened remaining employees to keep standing at their positions and not raise the alarm.
After filling the money in a suitcase, they left the premises and fled in a white Hyundai i20.
MASK OF ONE OF THE MEN FELL
No one was held hostage or injured during the heist, said superintendent of police (city) Harvinder Singh Virk, who rushed to the spot.
“The two men seem to be in their 30s. They were holding an air pistol and knife. Mask of one of them fell when they were leaving the spot. We are trying to identify them through CCTV footage,” he said.
A case has been registered under Section 392 (robbery) of the Indian Penal Code besides the Arms Act at the Mataur police station. Station house officer Rajeev Kumar said police in neighbouring districts have been alerted.