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UP: Robbers hurl crude bombs in bank, take away ₹5 lakh
Three people were injured on Friday when three armed men stormed into a rural branch of the Bank of Baroda in Hanspuram area of Naubasta hurling crude bombs and firing gunshots and took away ₹5 lakh cash, police said.
Three people were injured on Friday when three armed men stormed into a rural branch of the Bank of Baroda in Hanspuram area of Naubasta hurling crude bombs and firing gunshots and took away ₹5 lakh cash, police said.
This was the second major crime incident in Hanspuram area in a span of 48 hours. On Wednesday night, the criminals had looted ₹12 lakh from a KESCo employee throwing chilli powder in his eyes.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP), Kanpur, Akhilesh Kumar suspended in-charge of Hanpuram police outpost Raj Kumar Shukla and two others.
The outpost is located just 100 metres from the bank.
Police said CCTV footage showed that three men, who had their faces covered, reached the bank’s branch on a motorcycle (UP78 BA 3307) at around 2 pm. While one of them waited outside, two others entered the bank and lobbed five bombs in quick succession.
As the entire space got filled with dense smoke, the criminals collected cash from the counter and escaped, police said and added that local residents chased the criminals who fired two shots at the crowd.
Bank cashier Priyam Pandey and a customer Seema Gupta, who is a school principal, were hit by the pellets. One other person, whose identity could not be immediately established, was hit by the pellets while chasing criminals outside the bank.
Though the police claimed the robbers took away ₹1.5 lakh, chief general manager of the Bank of Baroda BP Sachan said the criminals looted ₹5 lakh.
ADG, Kanpur, Avinash Chandra, IG Alok Singh and SSP Akhilesh Kumar rushed to the spot. The ADG praised the local residents for taking on the robbers and said the case would be worked out soon.
“Several teams have been formed to nab the criminals,” he added.
Minutes before the robbery, the bank which has accounts mostly of teachers had received ₹28 lakh cash from the chest. The money was put in the strong room just before the robbers stormed in.
