Rs 28 lakh looted from rural bank in Hardoi

KANPUR: Six miscreants looted Rs 28 lakh from a rural bank in Hardoi on Wednesday night after kidnapping two of its employees in a daring operation lasting almost two-three hours and escaped unchallenged. Fortunately, the two bank employees were released unharmed by the criminals.
“Six SUV-borne miscreants abducted assistant manager Vijay Chauhan and cashier Shobhit of the Beheta Gokul branch of Aryavart Gramin Bank when they were returning home on a motorcycle and took them back to the bank, got its door opened and made away with the cash,” said Hardoi SP Govind Agarwal, adding a manhunt has been launched to nab the culprits.
“Chauhan and Gupta had barely reached Huseypur village after closing the bank late on Wednesday evening when they their motorcycle was intercepted by the miscreants riding a SUV. Within minutes the staffers were forced into the vehicle and taken back to the bank. They were forced at gun point to open the door and the vault and the miscreants filled the bags they were carrying with Rs 28.30 lakh,” said the police officer.
The miscreants later tied the hands and legs of the bank staffers and dumped them on Jagdishpur-Shahabad road in Lonar area and fled on the SUV. The police officer said the criminals took nearly two to three hours to complete the operation.
The SP, ASP Ajay Shanker besides other police officials rushed to the spot along with a team of forensic experts and a dog squad and launched an investigation. Police said involvement of an insider coul;d not be ruled out as the criminals were aware of the bank staff’s routine. A few bank employees have been interrogated. Police have also prepared sketches of the suspects on the basis of information provided by the bank staff.
Police said the bank did not have a security guard during night.