Mumbai, Alappuzha: Five armed robbers stormed into the Nashik offices of Muthoot Finance on Friday, and shot dead an employee, injuring two others. The deceased was identified as Saju Samuel, 28, a senior auditor, who had come from Kerala, while the injured included a watchman and another staffer. The heist proved a failure even as one alert employee hit the emergency siren, leaving the gang in a state of panic, the police said.
Samuels had worked at Ahmedabad and was transferred to Mumbai in June 2018. His wife Jancy and one year old son Jeremy were living with him in Nashik. He hailed from Arunoottim-angalam near Mavelikara. His relatives have left for Nashik and his body will be brought back soon.
The incident unfolded at City Centre Mall in the Untwadi area at around 11.30 am after five masked men barged into the finance company’s offices and opened fire, continuing even after the siren went off. The gang members targeted all those who attempted to resist them. One of the persons shot at close range was Samuel. The branch manager C.B. Deshpande (64) and another employee, Kailash Jain (25) were injured. When the robbers barged into the branch, it had five employees and at least eight customers.
“There was considerable cash at the branch office when it came under attack. The sirens, however, played the trick and the accused ended up grabbing the employees’ mobile phones. They fired five rounds in the process,” said a Nashik police officer.
The accused fled from the spot, soon after which the injured were rushed to the Civil Hospital, where Samuels was declared brought dead, the police said. The police said that others were recuperating while undergoing treatment.
