Bank staff attacked with chilli powder, Rs 4 lakh stolen; accused caught within 30 minutes

NAGPUR: A young man who allegedly robbed Rs 4 lakh from a bank after throwing chilli powder into the eyes of bank employees was arrested by the police within 30 minutes of the incident. The robbery took place at a State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Nagpur, Maharashtra, around 6 pm on Thursday.

The accused entered the bank pretending to be a regular customer. After reaching the cash counter, he took out chilli powder that he had hidden on his body and threw it into the eyes of the employees. As the powder affected their vision, panic spread inside the bank. Taking advantage of the confusion, the accused grabbed Rs 4 lakh from the cash counter and fled.

CCTV footage from the bank showed that the accused was wearing a saffron kurta and black pyjama and had completely covered his face. Bank employees and a security guard tried to chase him, but he managed to escape through a busy road. The bank authorities then informed the police.

Police examined CCTV footage from cameras installed inside and around the bank. Based on the footage, they identified the accused’s clothing and the direction in which he had fled. Police then intensified checks in the area, set up checkpoints at various locations and alerted patrol teams.

The police located and took the accused into custody within 30 minutes. The entire amount stolen from the bank was recovered from him. He was arrested and is being questioned. Police said the investigation is underway to gather more details about the incident.