Banker nabs robber, foils air-pistol heist in north-west Delhi

The alleged robbery began around 3.45pm on Saturday, when customers had left and about a dozen bank staffers were present in the premises on the Outer Ring Road, according to deputy commissioner of police (Rohini), SD Mishra.

Armed with an unloaded air pistol, like the ones used to burst balloons at fairs, a masked robber was about to pull off a dramatic daylight heist at a bank in north-west Delhi’s Prashant Vihar, but the branch manager tackled and overpowered him just as he was about to make away with ₹40 lakh, police said.

Wearing a helmet and a handkerchief, Jindal walked into the bank without any problem, pulled out the pistol, pointed it at the bank’s staff, and ordered them to raise their hands in the air, according to the statement given by Kumar to the police. (REUTERS)

The suspect, 32-year-old mobile phone trader Rinku Jindal, targeted Indian Overseas Bank, Prashant Vihar, because he recently lost ₹2.5 lakh while gambling. He spent about 30 minutes inside the bank without any resistance, but manager Vinod Kumar, 37, kicked him in the shin as he bent down to pick up two cash-laden bags, and wrestled him to the ground.

The alleged robbery began around 3.45pm on Saturday, when customers had left and about a dozen bank staffers were present in the premises on the Outer Ring Road, according to deputy commissioner of police (Rohini), SD Mishra.

Wearing a helmet and a handkerchief, Jindal walked into the bank without any problem, pulled out the pistol, pointed it at the bank’s staff, and ordered them to raise their hands in the air, according to the statement given by Kumar to the police.

“He gathered the bank’s staffers outside my cabin and told them that his associates were waiting outside the bank, and would shoot if anyone acted smart or raised an alarm,” Kumar said, adding that every once in while, Jindal would pretend to be speaking to someone over a Bluetooth device apparently concealed in his helmet.

“He would say ‘everything is okay, don’t shoot’ loudly, as if he was talking to someone on the phone,” Kumar added. The police said their probe has suggested that Jindal was acting alone, and was only bluffing about having accomplices outside.

Once Jindal felt he had the employees under control, he pointed the gun at the branch manager, and threatened to shoot everyone if an alarm was raised, police said. Jindal’s captives were marched to the basement of the building, where the strong room containing cash is located.

He told them that he needed the money because his child was ill and needed treatment.

“Once we were in the basement, Jindal ordered me and the bank’s cashier, Trilok Chand, to walk into the strong room and fill a bag with cash,” Kumar said.