Security guard, 3 more walk away with Rs9m

Bank employees were locked inside a room during the two-hour heist. PHOTO : MOHAMMAD NOMAN/FILE

The guard, Muhammad Anwar, son of Muhammad Khan, reached the bank at 7 am to take over his shift from Lal Din, who was on night duty. As soon as he changed into his uniform, he let Lal Din go, according to the police.

Kharadar SHO Ghulam Afridi said that Anwar called his friends after Lal Din left and waited for the employees to arrive. Meanwhile, one of the accused cut off the wire of the CCTV camera installed outside the branch.

As the workers entered the branch, the accused took them hostage, one by one. They tied their hands and locked them inside a room. When the bank manager, Hassan Ali, arrived at 8:45 am, the accused put a gun to his head and forced him to hand over the keys to the vaults. After stuffing their bags with Rs9 million in cash, they locked up everyone in a room and escaped on two motorcycles (KED-2177 and KDR-0180) that belonged to the bank employees. It was 9:15 am when the alleged robbers finally left the branch.

Special Investigation Unit chief SSP Raja Umer Khattab arrived at the bank along with a police team and interrogated all the employees, including the manager, and recorded their statements. The police have also obtained some footage from cameras installed inside the bank.

They also found the security guard’s repeater gun and have taken it into custody. After observing the fingerprints found on the crime scene, the police have concluded that Anwar was the mastermind in the heist. Anwar’s CNIC revealed that his home address was Nazar Government School in Chakwal District.

The police have raided several areas in the city but have yet to find the accused. They have also started monitoring all entry and exit points of the city while officers in plainclothes have been appointed at bus stops and train stations.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15^th,  2011.