Madhya Pradesh Bank Robbery: Gunmen Steal Rs 5.7 Crore

A daring bank robbery in Madhya Pradesh saw five masked gunmen steal Rs 5.7 crore in gold and cash, prompting a police investigation and one arrest in Bihar.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points

Five masked gunmen robbed a Bank of Maharashtra branch in Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh.
The robbers stole gold and cash worth Rs 5.7 crore from the bank.
One suspect has been arrested in the Dehri area of Bihar's Rohtas district.
The robbers threatened employees and customers at gunpoint during the heist.
Police are investigating the robbery and seeking information to arrest the remaining suspects.

Five masked gunmen barged into a public sector bank and took away gold and cash worth Rs 5.7 crore in Madhya Pradesh's Singrauli district, following which one suspect was arrested from Bihar, officials said on Saturday.

Initially, police had said that only Rs 14 lakh was robbed in the incident at a Bank of Maharashtra branch on Friday. The district in eastern MP borders Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Police Investigation Underway

MP Director General of Police Kailash Makwana, who had rushed to Singrauli late on Friday night, told reporters in Bhopal that he had sought assistance from his peers in UP, Chhattisgarh and Bihar to trace the robbers.

He also announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for information leading to their arrest.

Kotwali Station House Officer Ashok Singh Parihar said that one of the five suspects has been arrested from the Dehri area in Bihar's Rohtas district.

Details Of The Bank Heist

Five armed persons wearing masks stormed the bank premises in Singrauli on Friday and robbed gold jewellery and Rs 20 lakh cash, collectively worth Rs 5.7 crore, Superintendent of Police Manish Khatri told PTI.

The robbers threatened employees and customers at gunpoint and fired shots, and also assaulted some staff members and customers.

"One suspect pointed a pistol at the bank manager and demanded keys to the gold locker, slapped him and threatened to shoot when he did not comply immediately," said Khatri.

In tense moments that followed, the accused forced people to sit on the floor before fleeing with the valuables, according to police and eyewitnesses.

Gold Pledged Against Customer Loans Stolen

Khatri said the robbers took away Rs 6 lakh from the strong room and Rs 14.2 lakh from the cash counter, along with gold worth Rs 5.5 crore. He said the gold was pledged against customer loans.

Footage from CCTV cameras showed that the robbers fled on two motorcycles towards Bijpur in Sonbhadra in UP and then entered the Surajpur district in neighbouring Chhattisgarh, the official said, adding one of the suspects was arrested in Bihar later.

The faces of three suspects have been captured on CCTV cameras, said police.

The bank remained closed on Saturday for customers as senior bank officials visited the premises.

Under Indian law, charges of armed robbery and potentially attempted murder could apply, depending on the extent of violence used. The investigation will likely involve forensic analysis of the crime scene and interrogation of the arrested suspect to identify the remaining individuals involved and recover the stolen assets. Bank robberies, while not common, do occur in this region of Madhya Pradesh.

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