Armed men held bank staff hostage in Madhya Pradesh, loots gold, ₹35 lakh cash: Police

Five armed men held staff hostage for 20 minutes and looted gold and ₹35 lakh cash from Bank of Maharashtra branch in Madhya Pradesh’s Singrauli.

Published on: Apr 17, 2026, 16:09:33 IST

By Shruti Tomar, Bhopal

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Five armed men looted gold, silver, and cash worth ₹35 lakh from a bank in Madhya Pradesh’s Singrauli on Friday afternoon after holding staff hostage for nearly 20 minutes, police said.

Armed men enters Bank of Maharashtra in Singrauli, took employees hostage at gunpoint and escaped with gold, silver and ₹35 lakh cash. (Representative photo)

Singrauli superintendent of police (SP) Manish Khatri said the incident occurred around 1 pm at Bank of Maharashtra. “Eyewitnesses reported that two armed men entered the premises and took the employees hostage at gunpoint. Shortly after, three more joined them, taking full control of the bank,” he said.

“The robbers allegedly pointed guns at customers and staff, creating panic inside the branch. They demanded keys to the cash chests and details of reserves from the manager. When he hesitated, they assaulted him, striking his head with a gun butt before escaping with a chest of cash,” SP Khatri added.

A customer, Ashish Pandey, said that no security guard was present during the incident and said that the robbers fired a shot inside the bank.

Police teams reached after receiving information and sealed the bank. Statements from eyewitnesses and employees are being recorded, a police officer said.

“All exit points of the city have been sealed, and CCTV footage from the bank and surrounding areas is being examined to trace the robbers’ escape route,” the officer added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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