SBI contract employee shot dead by robbers

MUMBAI: A 25-year-old State Bank of India (SBI) contractual employee died after he was shot in the chest by unidentified robbers when he tried to stop them from entering the Dahisar branch of the bank on Wednesday afternoon.

According to the MHB Colony police, the incident took place at 3:22 pm when Sandesh Gomare was sitting outside the bank as he was hired on contract basis to carry out the work outsourced by the bank to an external agency. Gomare saw two men with their nose and mouth covered with a handkerchief enter the bank suspiciously.

Gomare stopped the men and asked them for identification when one of them used a country-made revolver and shot Gomare in the chest at pointblank range.

The officers from MHB Police station said that the men then barged into the bank and robbed the cash and fled before anyone could raise an alarm.

“The robbers fled the spot within two minutes taking with them whatever cash they could get their hands on,” said a police officer of MHB Police station. The employees of the bank alerted the police and rushed Gomare to Shatabdi hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. Gomare was a resident of Virar.

Based on the statements of the witnesses, the police learnt that the robbers were approximately 20 to 25 years old and had fled in the direction of Dahisar railway station.

Officers said that at the time of the robbery, there were at least eight employees in the bank as it was nearly closing time. “The bank was targeted as it is located in a non-crowded area and has less surveillance,” added the officer. The MHB Police have registered a case.