Surat, April 27 A daylight armed robbery at a State Bank of India (SBI) branch in the Varachha area of Surat has come to light after CCTV footage showed a group of armed men entering the premises one after another and fleeing with cash.
Police have confirmed that around Rs 50 lakh was looted in the incident.
According to police, five to six armed assailants arrived on motorcycles and targeted the branch at Long Hanuman Road while cash delivery through a CMS van was underway.
The CCTV footage reportedly shows the accused entering the bank, threatening staff, and escaping after collecting cash in a bag.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-1) Alok Kumar told IANS that the accused allegedly used weapons during the robbery and disabled security systems inside the bank.
He said, “Approximately Rs 50 lakh has been looted at this branch. Five to six accused came on motorcycles. We are investigating and tracing the accused to their rightful location. They showed weapons and snatched the phone of the official, because of which the police could not be contacted immediately. They also cut off and disabled the alarm system. The police arrived promptly after receiving information.”
CCTV footage is being examined to verify whether pistols were used, as indicated in initial inputs.
Teams from Zone-1 police and the Crime Branch have been deployed, and nearby districts have been alerted as part of the investigation.
Officers are working to trace the suspects' route after the robbery.
Eyewitness accounts from personnel involved in the CMS cash delivery suggest the robbery occurred moments after the cash was brought into the branch.
Shivpoojan Singh, a gunman with the cash van, said he remained outside during the incident.
He said, “We came with the cash and went to the branch to deposit. One more gunman accompanied him inside the bank. The incident occurred inside the bank itself.”
Police continue to investigate whether the robbery was pre-planned and whether the cash movement was specifically targeted, while efforts are underway to identify and arrest the accused.
--IANS
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