Armed robbers strike Phagwara bank, loot Rs 40 lakh

In a daring daylight robbery, armed thieves made off with an estimated ₹40 lakh from a private bank at Rihana-Jattan village along the Phagwara-Hoshiarpur road on Thursday afternoon.

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The incident happened around 3.10 pm, when three armed men arrived at HDFC Bank at Rihana-Jattan village in a white car. Eyewitness accounts and preliminary investigations suggest that two of the suspects entered the bank while the third remained in the vehicle to facilitate a quick escape.

Once inside, the armed assailants confronted the branch manager at gunpoint, coercing him to instruct the cashier, Lovepreet Kaur, to open the secure cash counter. Under duress, the staff complied, and the robbers swiftly gathered the available cash — estimated to be between ₹38 lakh and ₹40 lakh.

The robbery was executed with precision and speed, reportedly lasting no more than three minutes. After collecting the cash, the two suspects exited the bank and rejoined their accomplice, who was waiting in the vehicle. The trio then fled the scene in the same white car, heading in the direction of Hoshiarpur. Preliminary leads suggest that the robbers may have entered the area from the direction of Damali village.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gaurav Toora said senior officers, including Phagwara SP Rupinder Kaur Bhatti and DSP Bharat Bhushan reached the spot and coordinate response efforts. Police teams have launched an intensive investigation, including the analysis of CCTV footage from the bank and surrounding areas to trace the movements of the suspects and identify the vehicle involved.

Toora said the suspects also robbed the bank staff of three mobile phones. These phones were later discarded at different locations, including one at Rawalpindi village, which has been recovered by the police.

"The investigation is being pursued from multiple angles, and we are confident of apprehending the accused soon," the SSP stated. He added that additional security advisories had been issued to other banks and financial institutions in the region as a precautionary measure. He added that the cops were scanning nearby CCTVs and questioning the bank staff. As of now, no arrests have been made and the identities of the robbers remain unknown.