In a major breakthrough, police arrested three persons, including a PNB staff, and recovered Rs 10 lakh aside from a pistol and some cartridges from their possession on Monday in connection with the loot of Rs 18 lakh from the manager of PNB, Naugaon branch (Uttarkashi) in Vikasnagar area.
The trio has been identified as Manjesh Kumar, resident of Haridwar, Navneet Kumar, native of Saharanpur and Vishal Singh, PNB staff, and native of Saharanpur, said Dehradun SSP Sadanand Date while interacting with media persons on Monday.
Notably, four unidentified miscreants had forced themselves into the car of a PNB branch manager, kept him captive for some time, brandishing a gun at Dakrani, and finally decamped with Rs 18 lakh on May 27. The crime had crated ripples as it had happened in broad day light at Dakrani, in Vikasnagar near Dehradun. Manager had been accompanied by Vishal Singh who was one of the trio arrested.
The criminals had kept the manager captive at a place near Kampty Fall near Mussoorie in Tehri district, looted the cash at Dakrani and escaped. Naugoan (Uttarkashi) PNB, manager had been bringing the amount in a car to the bank’s main office at Astley Hall in Dehradun. Investigation had revealed that criminals had chased the manager from Tehri.
Date said that several teams led by circle officer Chandra Mohan, ASP Manjunath TC, SOG led by Mukesh Tyagi, SOG from Tehri and other policemen from Tehri and Dehradun had been formed to crack the case. A team of policemen interrogated the bank manager. The bank staff Vishal was found changing his statement frequently as he was grilled by the investigators. As the interrogators put further pressure on him he broke down and confessed that he had been involved in the loot case.
Based on information provided by Vishal, joint teams of Dehradun and Tehri conducted raids at various places in Saharanpur, Haridwar, and Dehradun.
Initially, police failed to nab the accused as they absconded. However, on Monday, success came their way as acting on a tip -off, police conducted vehicle checking drive around Dhamawala Chowk and arrested two persons sitting in a car.
Police recovered Rs 4.5 lakh, one firearm and four cartridges from the possession of Manjesh while Rs 4.5 lakh aside from one country- made pistol and two cartridges was seized from Navneet.
Based on interrogation of the duo, police recovered about Rs one lakh from a house located at Clement Town.
Navneet informed police that Vishal being his childhood friend, he had been aware of Vishal working in PNB bank. In one of Vishal’s what’s app photo, he had seen Vishal carrying money of the bank to be transferred from one branch to another.
This started things as the photo aroused Navneet’s greed. When he shared his idea of looting cashes with Vishal the latter agreed. Vishal informed Navneet that cash was transferred from Naugaon to Dehradun each Friday. later, they roped in Manjesh, an old hand in such cases and an absconder from Haryana in the plan.
The trio had met at Chhutmalpur to give final touches to the plan of loot. In course of this meeting, it had been decided that Manjesh would arrange a vehicle, pistols and cartridges to loot cashes. Navneet conducted raccee of PNB, Naugoan branch and the roads through which the bank officials passed through, carrying cash.
Vishal informed Navneet on May 26 (Thursday) that he along with the branch manager would go Dehradun from Naugaon on Friday. Vishal had given all the details like the amount to be transported and the number of the vehicle to be used for transporting the money.
Investigation further revealed that 10 such cases have been lodged so far against Manjesh in Yamunanagar in Haryana. Besides, police confirmed that he had been involved in a loot that happened under Dalanwala police station in Dehradun. He had been tagged to Arms Act in 2002. He had escaped from police custody from Yamunanagar in Haryana in 2008.
