Brazen bank heist shakes Chhattisgarh: Robbers make away with Rs 5.6cr, stab bank manager

In a daring daylight heist, a group of seven robbers made away with a staggering sum of Rs 5.6 crore, comprising cash, gold bars, and precious jewellery, all plundered from the strong room of an Axis Bank branch. The incident occurred in Raigarh, a town in Chhattisgarh, located about 250 kilometers from Raipur. This event marks the most significant bank robbery in Chhattisgarh in over a decade. During their audacious operation, the robbers confronted the bank manager, who valiantly resisted. In their desperation, they resorted to violence, stabbing the manager in the leg. To ensure their escape, they held the bank staff hostage in a secured room. The plundered wealth was subsequently concealed within three sizeable duffel bags, two of which were strategically loaded onto a motorcycle on which the accused fled. As of now, the identity of these audacious robbers remains a mystery to the police. Authorities discovered an abandoned motorcycle matching the description of the getaway vehicle approximately 15 kilometers from the bank. However, they have not officially linked it to the crime at this point. Evidently, the gang had meticulously planned their heist, promptly disabling the CCTV cameras upon entering the bank. Additionally, there is speculation about whether the robbers had prior knowledge of the substantial cash and valuables held within the branch, which includes a colossal Rs 4 crore in cash, alongside gold bars and jewelry extracted from lockers. The seven robbers initiated their assault at 9:30 am, shortly after the bank’s opening, with only staff members present, busily preparing for the day ahead. The bank’s security guard had not yet arrived, and the bank lacked any customers at that early hour. Surveillance footage from nearby cameras captured the robbers’ arrival in both a car and a motorcycle. The bank’s CCTV footage, captured before the cameras were disabled, shows the masked gang entering calmly, displaying no signs of nervousness. Their raid commenced so calmly that the bank’s staff initially mistook them for regular customers. However, the situation took a turn when the robbers brandished knives and headed straight for the bank manager’s office. At knifepoint, they demanded the keys to the lockers. Despite the manager’s resistance, they proceeded to loot cash and valuables from the locker room before making their exit. Another video clip captures two of the robbers emerging from the bank, carrying three duffel bags loaded with stolen goods, as they made their escape on a motorcycle. Despite the usually bustling street, the heist unfolded without anyone outside the bank suspecting a thing, as only a few shops had opened at that early hour. After the robbers departed, the bank staff promptly alerted the police, and the injured bank manager received medical attention at the district hospital. Fortunately, his condition is reported to be stable. In response to this audacious crime, the police have cordoned off the affected area and border regions. Stringent vehicle searches are underway, and investigators are scrutinizing CCTV footage from cameras located in the Jagatpur locality. They are also exploring potential escape routes and meticulously reviewing available bank surveillance footage in the hope of finding some clues.