Attention diversion gang steals Rs 5L from cashier

An attention diversion gang that usually targets gullible customers transacting at the bank has gone for the cashier inside the strongroom this time.

At 10.10 am on June 28, the eight-member gang entered the Syndicate Bank’s Chamrajpet branch ahead of the customers and other employees when only the cashier and a few office boys were present.

Engaged in conversation

A few gang members milled around the cash counter, pretending to wait for it to open. One of them engaged the cashier in a conversation, while a few others roamed around.

One of the gang members sneaked into the safe room and grabbed a bundle of notes worth Rs 5 lakh from behind the cashier R Velu, as the other man engaged Velu with his questions. All of them left the bank in 10 minutes.

Senior branch manager Biplob Ghorai found the missing cash while counting the money at the end of the working hours. The bank staff checked the credits and withdrawal slips, besides reviewing the CCTV footage, where the theft was not clearly recorded. But the staff was able to spot the man stealing the bundle after carefully examining the footage for over two days.

Ghorai reported the theft to his seniors before filing a case with the Chamrajpet police, who took up a case and are analysing CCTV images from inside and around the bank premises to single out the gang members.