Masked men strike at Manappuram Gold, rob cash, gold worth Rs 2 crore

Four masked men armed with weapons struck at the office of Manappuram Gold Loan company  on Friday, threatened its employees and fled with cash and gold worth Rs two crore.

The incident took place around 4 pm in Jnanabharathi police station limits.
With no security guards, the gang gained easy entry into the office when the staff were busy closing the day’s transactions.

The robbers threatened a male and two female staffers at knifepoint, collected cash and gold and escaped. The staff could alert the police only after the gang escaped.
The Jnanabharathi police said that laxity by the firm in installing safety measures led to the heist. The management didn’t instal CCTV cameras despite warnings. Nor did it care to appoint security guards. What’s more, no employee dared to press the alarm buttons installed near the chairs of the three staffers, the police added.

The robbers threw chilli powder on the floor to mislead the police. Investigators have not ruled out the involvement of insiders.