Virar bank robbery: ICICI Bank manager killed, cashier seriously injured; suspect an ex-employee, say reports

A manager of the ICICI bank was killed and a cashier was seriously injured on Thursday (29 July) after they were attacked during a robbery at the bank’s Virar (East) branch near Mumbai. The robbers were trying to escape with cash and gold from the bank. The incident took place at around 8.45 pm at an ICICI Bank branch in Virar (East), a coastal city located on the outskirts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The two staffers have been identified as Yogita Vartak-Chowdhary (Assistant Manager) and Shraddha Devrukh (Cashier). According to Virar Police, the manager and cashier were winding up for the day when the duo rushed into the bank. During that time, the bank was half shuttered. The other staffers had left at 7.30 pm. “The accused entered the bank, headed straight to the locker, and threatened the women with knives to open the safe. When they protested, the accused slashed them on the neck, chest, and shoulder with razors,” said senior inspector Suresh Warade, according to a report in Hindustan Times. The police further stated that the arrested accused Anil Dubey (35) was known to the victims. After filling the two bags with cash and gold, the men were about to escape when Vartak raised an alarm to alert the passer-by outside. Following this, one of the accused pulled out a razor and slashed the bank manager’s neck. She later died of the injuries. As the robbers tried to esape with the bags containing gold and cash, the cashier screamed and alerted the passers-by who rushed to help. The locals managed to nab one of the robbers, who is reportedly a former manager of the bank. The accused, who works as a manager in another private sector bank in Naigaon, is now in police custody, reports said. So far, the police have recovered the bags containing cash and gold from one of the accused. Even the car by which they arrived was found parked at a distance. A medical report by the Sanjeevani hospital in the city-states that Vartak was declared dead on arrival. Devrukh is currently being treated at a primary health care centre in the city. Her condition is said to be critical.