'He'll probably be hiding in some forest'; Rijo actively participated in neighbours' conversations about robbery 

CHALAKUDY: After carrying out the robbery at Chalakudy Federal Bank, the accused, Rijo Antony (51), showed no signs of worry when speaking, as reported by the neighbours. While his neighbours and friends were discussing the robbery news, Rijo actively participated in the conversation without any hesitation. Even during a family gathering at his house recently, the topic came up. When asked about the robbery, Rijo jokingly replied, "He'll probably be hiding in some forest." Moments later, the police arrived at the scene in search of Rijo.

The police surrounded Rijo's house and captured him while the family gathering was going on. The gathering took place yesterday at Rijo's residence. When the priest from the church said that the thief had entered the region, Rijo replied, "Hey, there’s no one here, and the thieves must be from somewhere else." Rijo was confident that his meticulous planning would prevent him from getting caught. When the police finally arrested Rijo, those who witnessed it said he appeared to be startled and surprised.

After the robbery, Rijo stayed at a house near the bank with the stolen money. He had burned the jacket he wore on the day of the robbery. He had chosen noon for the heist after observing the bank's operations over several days. He carefully noted when the employees would step out, planning the robbery accordingly. Although there was Rs 45 lakh in the bank at the time, Rijo took only Rs 15 lakh, which turned out to be a key detail in the police investigation.

When Rijo saw three bundles of currency, he quickly grabbed them. Thinking that the bank staff would alert the police, he rushed out with the money he could get his hands on. As a result, Rijo was able to take only 15 lakh rupees. From the stolen money, Rijo had given 294,000 rupees to a native of Annanad to repay a debt. Out of this, 229,000 rupees were returned to the police station by the Annanad native, who realized that Rijo was the culprit after watching the news on TV.

Meanwhile, the police conducted an evidence collection at Rijo's house. Out of the Rs 15 lakhs stolen from the bank, Rs 12 lakhs were recovered from his house. The knife used to threaten the bank employees and the clothes he wore during the robbery were also found there. According to reports, Rijo will be presented before the court by this afternoon.