Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh district witnessed a meticulously planned bank robbery on Friday evening, where five armed men looted gold ornaments worth crores and cash from a newly opened Bank of Maharashtra outlet in Barhi. Initial estimates peg the gold haul at 4 kg valued between 6-7 crore rupees, plus 5 lakh in notes snatched from the teller counter.
The operation’s sophistication stunned investigators. Disguised as routine customers, two robbers entered first under the pretext of account opening, signaling their gang. Pistols drawn, they overpowered the deputy manager Roshan Singh and team, pistol-whipping resistors before corralling everyone.
Keys wrested, they breached the strong room in record time, filling pre-brought bags with customer-deposited gold for loans. The entire raid lasted mere 20 minutes. Cleverly, they sealed the bank doors externally, buying escape time on Hazaribagh Road.
Police response was prompt post-alarm. SP Aman Kumar arrived with reinforcements, vowing exhaustive inquiries. ‘We’re combing CCTV networks and deploying teams for identification,’ he said. SDPO Barhi Ajit Kumar Vimal detailed raids on suspect locations.
For a branch barely 8 months old, the breach highlights internal lapses. This high-stakes theft not only inflicts massive financial loss but erodes public trust in banking safety. As forensic teams process the scene, the hunt for the fugitive gang intensifies amid community outrage. Enhanced vigilance is now imperative to safeguard such vulnerabilities.
