Bank robbery: Six detained, probe on

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 18

The city police have detained six persons in the bank robbery case, in which two armed persons looted Rs 22.48 lakh from a zonal branch of the Punjab National Bank in Rani Ka Bagh area two days ago. Nevertheless, the police were yet to make any significant breakthrough in the case.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Investigation) Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar said the police have detained several suspects and their interrogation was underway.

Accused will be held soon: dcp

Miscreants are targeting the banks that did not have security guards. The accused will be arrested soon. — Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar, DCP (Investigation)

A police official said the police have detained six persons in the case so far. Yesterday, the police carried out raids in several localities on Ram Tirath Road, while tracing the route of the robbers by analysing CCTVs.

On Thursday, an armed person entered the bank at 12.10 pm. There were around 13 persons, including two customers, present in the bank at that time.

The accused pointed a gun at the staff and customers and looted cash to the tune of Rs 22.48 lakh from the cabin of the cashier. One of his accomplice remained at the entrance gate. It took just two minutes for the perpetrators to commit the robbery. Ironically, the bank is located just few metres away from the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and order) and Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), while cantonment police station was also situated nearby.

A similar instance had occurred in a PNB branch in Kathunangal on December 22 last year, in which two robbers had decamped with Rs 17 lakh. Bhullar said the accused were targeting the banks that did not had any security guard. He said the accused would be arrested soon.