This robbery had all ingredients of a Hollywood potboiler.
An alert security guard on Saturday shot dead one of the four robbers who tried to steal gold and cash from Muthoot Fincorp’s Sundar Nagar branch in Punjab’s Ludhiana.
Investigations into the robbery had shocked the police after they recovered a jammer, one mobile phone without a SIM card, an internet dongle, a pair of pliers, a shirt, and a phone charger.
Police said the robbers carried the mobile phone jammer to block sensors and security systems of the branch, which had only five staffers – three women employees, a manager, and a security guard.
Police also found that the two motorcycles used by the robbers were bearing fake number plates. The robbers had also scrubbed the engine and chassis number of the vehicles.
Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP ) (City 1) Pragya Jain said one mobile phone was recovered from the dead robber, who was later identified as Amar Partap Singh of Nalanda in Bihar. His belongings are being scrutinized, she added.
The ADCP said that the robbers used the mobile app ‘imo’ to contact each other. “Police will probe their links. The origin of vehicles used by them is being traced,” she said.
Police are also investigating how did the robbers manage to sneak weapons inside the office. The officials also noted that no surveillance camera was installed inside the office and its alarm system was defunct as well. A bank adjoining the Muthoot Fincorp has not installed CCTV cameras either.
Three of the robbers tried to escape from the spot. The robbers had also shot the manager of the branch in his right shoulder. Police have recovered two pistols used by the robbers.
