In a daylight robbery at Axis Bank’s branch in Shamli, a man armed with two pistols stormed the bank and threatened the branch manager, demanding Rs 40 lakh.
The incident unfolded dramatically as the miscreant pointed a gun at the manager’s head, warning him that if the money was not handed over, he would be shot. The robber even claimed that he needed the money to repay a loan.
When the bank’s security guard attempted to intervene, the branch manager, fearing for his life, asked him to stand down.
The frightened manager then ordered the cashier to bring Rs 40 lakh. The armed robber held the staff at the gun-point, forcing them to the bank’s entrance, and made everyone else in the bank raise their hands. Without even bothering to hide his face, the robber calmly walked out, and fled the scene on a motorcycle.
The robbery took place at around 2:27 pm in Axis Bank’s branch near Dhimanpura railway gate in the city’s Kotwali area. The robber entered the manager’s room, pistols in hand, and showed the manager a suicide note, stating that he was in debt for Rs 40 lakh and would be ruined if he didn’t pay it back.
He threatened to either kill the manager or take his own life if the money wasn’t provided.
The manager, complying with the demands, instructed cashier Rohit to bring the cash to his office. The robber stuffed the money into a bag, forced the bank staff to escort him to the gate at the gun-point, and then escaped on a bike waiting for him.
Interestingly, the robber spent about 30 minutes inside the bank, but neither the staff nor the customers—around 18 to 20 people—raised an alarm or contacted the police during the heist. After the robber fled, senior officers, including Shamli SP Ram Sewak Gautam, arrived at the scene. They collected CCTV footage and formed teams to track down the culprit.
One bank employee, Bobby, who was responsible for handling cash deliveries, claimed he was drinking water when the robbery occurred. He tried to take aim at the robber but was ordered by the branch manager to put down his gun. According to Bobby, the robber fled on his bike as soon as he put his weapon back into his bag. Police are conducting further investigations into the case.
