Robbers loot 20kg gold, Rs 13 lakh from cooperative bank at knifepoint in Kasargod

KASARGOD: In a daring daylight robbery, armed men  looted 20 kg gold and Rs. 13 lakh from the Kasargod Kudlu Service Cooperative Bank on the periphery of Kasargod town around 2 p.m.  on Monday. 

They tied up two women employees and a customer at knife point, took the keys of the lockers and got away with the gold and cash in ten minutes.  

They also robbed  21 sovereigns of gold from the woman customer who had come to  pledge her jewels.

Kasargod SP  A. Srinivas said the  bank had no security arrangements prescribed by the RBI that allowed the robbers a free access to the bank.

“The bank did not even have CCTV cameras or armed guards.  They had a lot of cash and gold in their lockers but failed to follow the directions of RBI on security.   All the keys of the locker were in the custody of one woman staffer.  The robbers opened the lockers and escaped in no time,” he said.

According to the police, the robbers came on two-wheelers. They wore masks and were armed. “The robbers tied up the employees and the customer at knife point and took the keys of the locker from the woman employee.  As per initial estimates, 20 kg gold and Rs. 13 lakh were taken away.

Special teams have been formed to investigate the case. However, police have got  no crucial evidence  such as CCTV footage. The employees said  the robbers talked in Kasargod Malayalam slang.

A similar robbery had taken place in the same bank  in 2001 and about 50 kg gold was looted  then. That case still remains unsolved.