17 kg gold, cash looted in broad daylight

AGRA About half a dozen miscreants committed a daylight robbery at Manappuram Finance Company in a posh area here on Saturday and took away 17 kilogram gold and about Rs 5 lakh in cash. They took the staff hostage and fled from the spot after filling their bags with the loot.

“The actual assessment of the loot is yet to be made but it is believed that around 17 kilogram of gold and Rs 5 lakh in cash were looted from the branch of Manappuram Finance Limited located on Central Bank Road in Kamla Nagar area here on Saturday afternoon,” said additional director general (ADG) of Agra zone, Rajeev Krishna, after visiting the spot.

“The miscreants are believed to be half a dozen in number. We are working on the case and all efforts are being made to nab the accused,” said the ADG who did not confirm any arrest but sources in police revealed that police had attained some success.

Most of the shops in Kamla Nagar, a posh locality, were closed, the day being of week end closure. Sources revealed that the criminals entered the office at about 1 pm, in groups of two pretending to be customers but later took out arms and held the staff hostage.

They threatened to shoot if anyone tried to resist or raise alarm and collected the gold and cash. Then they moved out briskly. There were other shops in the building but were closed. The office of the targeted company is on the first floor of the complex.

On information, police rushed to the spot and senior police officials interacted with the staff and manager of the company.

SP City Rohan Pramod Botre sounded an alert and checking began on the outskirts of the city and the highway. The police officials reviewed the CCTV footage in which accused were seen walking out with bags on their back.

The targeted company was engaged in giving loan in lieu of gold deposited by the customers. The looted gold is believed to be worth about Rs 8 crore.

THE TARGETED COMPANY WAS ENGAGED IN GIVING LOAN IN LIEU OF GOLD DEPOSITED BY THE CUSTOMERS.