Giridih (Jharkhand): In a major daylight robbery, five armed men stormed into a UCO Bank branch in Rajdhanwar area of Jharkhand’s Giridih district and decamped with gold worth an estimated Rs 3-4 crore and around Rs 8-10 lakh in cash, police said on Thursday.
The daring heist took place barely 100 metres from the local police station, sending shockwaves across the area and raising serious concerns over security arrangements.
According to branch manager Rahul Kumar Gaur, the incident occurred around 1.40 p.m. when five armed men entered the bank.
One of them, wearing a helmet, remained at the main entrance keeping watch, while four masked accomplices barged inside and held bank employees and customers at gunpoint.
The robbers forced the manager and staff to sit outside the vault, tied their hands behind their backs, and sealed their mouths with adhesive tape.
They then compelled the manager to hand over the vault keys and open the strong room. At the time, two customers were present inside the bank, while two more entered during the robbery. The criminals overpowered and restrained them as well.
After gaining access to the vault, the gang made away with gold ornaments pledged by customers, estimated to be worth about Rs 3 crore to Rs 4 crore, along with cash amounting to Rs 8-10 lakh.
Bank officials said the exact value of the stolen assets is still being assessed.
Before fleeing, the robbers damaged and took away the DVR unit connected to the bank’s CCTV surveillance system in an attempt to destroy digital evidence.
The entire operation was executed within about 20 minutes.
Police teams rushed to the spot after being alerted by bank authorities and have launched an investigation.
Search operations are underway to identify and apprehend the accused. Investigators are also questioning bank employees and eyewitnesses to reconstruct the sequence of events.
The sensational robbery, carried out in broad daylight and close to a police station, has triggered public concern and put the spotlight on local law-and-order arrangements.
(IANS)
