Robbers eye Nashik co-op bank for sixth time, loot Rs 17 lakh

 A sum of Rs 17.24 lakh was allegedly robbed from the cash locker of Nashik District Central Co-operative Bank in Yeola taluka after a gang of dacoits broke into the Jalgaon-neur branch and fled with the booty, police said today.

The incident, sixth such instance of heist at NDCC banks in last 10 months, came to light yesterday when the manager of the Jalgaon-neur branch, Kailas Nagpure, opened the bank at 10.30 AM, police said.

The heist took place in the wee hours yesterday when dacoits entered the premises after breaking iron bars of the windows using gas-cutters and made their way to the bank locker, Additional SP, Malegaon, Sunil Kadasane said.

This is the sixth robbery within a span of 10 months on NDCC branches in Nashik district, the ASP said.

After a complaint was lodged at local Yeola police satation, a dog squad was pressed into service and finger print experts were called in besides sealing important exit points to trace culprits, police said.

The NDCC bank branches which have been looted earlier include Karanjali in Peint taluka (Rs 15 lakh in January 2015), Andersool branch in Yeola taluka (Rs 50 lakh in May 2015) Nimon in Chandvad (Rs 19 lakh in July 2015), Ranvad branch in Niphad taluka (Rs 1.75 crore in August 2015) and Nimgaon branch in Malegaon taluka (Rs 13 lakh in September 2015), Kadasane said.

Police suspect that the same gang has been behind all the robberies. However, no arrests have been made so far.

Meanwhile, struck by a series of robberies at their branches this year, NDCC authorities are considering tightening security to prevent more such incidents in the future, NDCC Chairman Narendra Darade said.