Trichy PNB Heist: 40 sovereigns, cash dropped by fleeing burglars, recovered

On Tuesday, customers, who have been using lockers at the branch, made a beeline to check if their jewels were safe and a significant number of them preferred to close the lockers and shift to other banks.

Police teams investigating the heist brought forensic experts and a sniffer dog to the spot for possible and potential clues. The sniffer dog that started running out of the strong room through the hole made by the gang, headed towards the school compound and then towards Samayapuram road. From there, it reached Tiruchy–Chennai bypass road.

Subsequently, the police suspected that the gang should have ran towards the Chennai bypass and escaped from there in a vehicle. According to an investigation officer, “We are going through the footage of CCTV cameras fixed in all commercial complexes on the route and also the cameras in Samayapuram toll plaza.”

It is said that nine employees at the bank branch were from other states. The special teams interrogated all the employees separately. Meanwhile, police inquiries revealed that the gas cylinder used for the heist was a stolen one and search is on to identify the owner.

Among the five lockers, two (No 299 and No 300) were used by former vice president of Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and current Tiruchy district Cricket Association president KG Muralidharan, who reportedly told the police that the lockers had only documents. The other three lockers were used by an advocate, a Customs official and an NRI. The investigation officials said that around 510 sovereign and Rs 21 lakh in cash had been looted.

Later, Mohanraj Stanley, branch manager, lodged a formal complaint with the Kollidam police station on Tuesday based on which a case was registered.

It is said that the PNB branch has as many as 375 lockers among which only five lockers were targeted. Soon after the information about the theft spread, anxious customers started thronging the bank from Monday to check the contents in their lockers. On Tuesday, customers demanded to see their lockers. Heeding their request, officials allowed them to see their lockers. The police also inquired the customers.