DH News Service
Bangalore, Oct 30: A gang of five armed miscreants barged into a finance company at Mysore Bank Colony in Hanumanthanagar on Wednesday afternoon and looted cash and valuables worth about Rs 22 lakh.
The incident occurred at around 4 pm at the Manappuram General Finance and Leasing Company Ltd.
The goons entered the branch office in the guise of customers and held the company officials hostage at knife-point. They snatched the officials’ cell phones and asked them to open the locker where gold jewellery and cash were kept. After the lockers were opened, they locked up branch manager Saji and his junior assistant Sabin in a room. Later the robbers made good their escape.
A customer who came to the bank at about 6:30 pm freed the duo, after which the branch manager reported the matter to the police.
Police officials from Hanumanthanagar rushed to the spot and sounded an alert. DCP Ravi and Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari too visited the place.
The loss had not been ascertained due to the contradictory statements of the branch manager, said police sources.
“He (Saji) earlier said the dacoits had fled with Rs 2 lac. Then he said the value was 20 lac. Once he said the looted amount could be Rs 2 crore. We are trying to verify how much the actual loss is,” said a police official.
The loss was subsequently estimated at Rs 22 lac, police said.
The miscreants had left behind some jewellery and other valuables.
According to the victims, the dacoits were average built. Two of them were conversing in Kannada while the others were silent, they told the police.
Investigation is on.