₹1.42 lakh robbed from bank in Bathinda

Two unidentified persons decamped with about ₹1.42 lakh from Bandhan Bank in Bathinda city on Friday evening

Two unidentified persons decamped with about ₹1.42 lakh from Bandhan Bank in Bathinda city on Friday evening.

Located in the busy street number 11 of Namdev Nagar locality, the said branch deals in soft loans to self-help groups (SHGs). (HT Photo)

Located in the busy street number 11 of Namdev Nagar locality, the said branch deals in soft loans to self-help groups (SHGs). Police officials said the bank has not deployed any security guards in the branch. Bank staff said the criminals did not use any weapon in the crime.

At the time of the crime, more than 20 persons, including the staff and women customers were inside the bank but the criminals managed to flee from the spot without any resistance.

According to Vikas Kumar, in-charge of the branch, a masked man entered the bank at around 4.30pm and sped with a cash box containing ₹1.42 lakh collected from loanees today.

“The man who snatched cash was physically handicapped while his accomplice was outside the bank with a motorcycle with its engine kept started. We have no security personnel but close circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed inside have captured the incident,” he said. Bank officials told the police personnel that about two weeks ago, unidentified persons snatched about ₹40,000 from one of their customers outside the branch.

Bathinda superintendent of police (investigation) Ajay Gandhi said the top officials of the bank would be contacted as having no security personnel is a serious lapse. “Teams have been constituted for a lead in the crime,” he added.