RAIPUR: A gang of seven robbers pulled off one of the biggest bank heists in the country in recent times on Tuesday, looting over Rs 5.6 crore in cash, gold bars and jewellery from the strong room of a private bank in Raigarh town of Chhattisgarh, around 250km from Raipur.It's the biggest bank robvbery in Chhattisgarh in over a decade.The gang stabbed the bank manager in the leg when he resisted and held the staff hostage in a room.
They stuffed the loot into three large duffel bags, which two of them arranged on a motorcycle, and sped off.Police have no clue to the identity of the robbers.
They found an abandoned motorcycle matching the getaway vehicle 15 km from the bank, but aren't officially connecting it to the crime yet.The gang had evidently recced the bank as they damaged the CCTV cameras soon after they entered.
Police also wonder if the gang knew that the branch had this much cash and valuables - the loot includes Rs 4 crore in cash and the rest in gold bars and jewellery taken from lockers.The seven robbers struck at 9.30am, soon after the shutters were opened and only the bank staff were around, preparing for the day.
The bank guard hadn't arrived.
Neither were there any customers.
CCTV footage from cameras in the vicinity show the robbers arriving in a car and a motorcycle.The bank's CCTV footage (before the cameras were damaged) shows the masked robbers gang casually walk in, showing no sign of nerves.
The raid started so calmly that the staff seemed to have mistaken them for customers.They pulled out knives and headed straight for the bank manager's chamber, where they asked for the keys to the lockers at knife point, say police.
The manager resisted and was stabbed, said Raigarh SP Sadanand Kumar, adding that the robbers looted cash and ornaments from the locker room and walked out.Another video shows two robbers coming out from the bank, laden with three duffel bags, and fleeing on the bike.Though it is usually a very busy street, no one outside had a clue that a bank robbery was on as few shops had opened.
The gang had timed their hit well.After the gang left, the bank staff alerted police and the injured bank manager was taken to district hospital where his condition is said to be stable.Police have cordoned off the region and border areas.
Vehicles are being searched.
Investigators are also looking at CCTV footage from cameras in Jagatpur locality and the possible routes of escape and also scanning the available bank footage to get some clues.