Cops find shop where robbers bought bag

The police have still not been able to identify the five men who robbed Rs 28 lakh from the Shimpoli branch of HDFC Bank at gunpoint on August 30.

The police have still not been able to identify the five men who robbed Rs 28 lakh from the Shimpoli branch of HDFC Bank at gunpoint on August 30.

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However, with the help of the CCTV footage captured by the cameras inside the bank, the police found that the military bag in which the robbers kept the money, belonged to one Sai Collection store located in Charkop in Kandivli (West).

While conducting interrogations, the police also found that the men had bought the windsheeters they were wearing during the heist a day before from the same store.

"The windsheeters and the bag were purchased on August 29 between 8.30 pm and 9.15 pm. When we showed photos of the man whose face has been captured by the cameras, the shopkeeper could not identify him," said Additional Commissioner of Police (north region) Ramrao Pawar.

The police added that they have not ruled out the involvement of an insider in the case. "There is a possibility that an employee had tipped off the gang about the functioning of the bank," said a crime branch officer.

The police are inquiring about small-time gangs that operate in the city, especially in the northern part to find if the gang that carried out the robbery was a new recruit.

The police have circulated one of the photos captured by the CCTV in various parts of the city.