A dismissed manager of a private bank, who is being tried for allegedly killing a deputy manager of ICICI Bank's Virar (East) branch and trying unsuccessfully to commit a heist at the same bank, was remanded by a Vasai court to judicial custody for 14 days in the sensational case.
A Vasai court sent Anil Dubey (35)— who had alleged stabbed ICICI Bank’s Deputy Manager Yogita Nishant Vartak Choudhary (36) and attempted to murder Shradha Devrukar (32) while trying to commit a robbery at the bank on July 29 – to judicial custody for 14 days.
Shradha, who was injured in the July 29 attack, is “stable” now and has been moved out of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai. She continues to undergo treatment for stab injuries on her neck and shoulder, at the hospital.
Apart from facing the charges of murder, attempt to murder and bank robbery, Dubey is also being investigated for allegedly defrauding Axis Bank where he worked before the crime, to the tune of `26.84 lakh.
It may be recalled that on the night of July 29 (Thursday), Dubey had stabbed to death Yogita, a lady Deputy Manager of the ICICI Bank's Virar (East) and injured lady cashier Shradha of the same bank branch, as he tried unsuccessfully to commit a heist at their bank at Virar (East) branch in the neighbouring Palghar district but was caught by the local people while trying to flee the place after the incident.
At 8 pm on Thursday, Dubey had barged into the bank branch wearing a mask, when the two lady employees deputy Manager Yogita and cashier Shradha (32) were closing the shutters of the bank. By then, all the bank staffers had left for the day.
Dubey allegedly threatened the two lady employees with a sharp razor, forced them to open the locker, asked them to fill his bag with cash and jewellery worth `1.38 crore and once they complied, he tried to flee the place with the looted booty.
Yogita and Shradha resisted as Dubey tried to head out of the bank’s branch. Dubey attacked both of them with the razor he was carrying.
Yogita, who sustained multiple injuries on her throat, shoulder and other parts of her body, succumbed to her injuries later, while Shradha suffered injuries on her neck and shoulder. Shraddha, who is undergoing treatment at a local hospital, is said to be `out of danger’.
Dubey, who was trying to escape using his car that he had parked outside the bank branch, was caught by the passers-by --who heard the screams of the two lady employees, as he ran towards his car. The passers-by handed Duibey over to the Virar police.
Having taken serious cognisance of the incident, Axis Bank has, meanwhile, dismissed Dubey from the service and launched an internal probe into the matter relating to him. Axis Bank is also co-operating with the Virar police in the investigations.
Meanwhile, the ICICI Bank is also conducting an internal inquiry to ascertain whether Dubey – who had worked in its set-up before moving to the Axis Bank had either indulged in similar fraud in the bank or allegedly cheated its customers.
The preliminary investigations have revealed that before committing the crime at the ICICI Bank, Dubey had stopped going to work at the Axis Bank, apprehending that law might catch up with him. He was hoping against hope that he would clear the alleged defrauded money after accomplishing the heist at the ICICI Bank.
Apprehending action from the Axis Bank or the police after his misdeeds were discovered in the past few days, he had skipped office during the week, but by the weekend masterminded the ICICI Bank heist to clear off his outstanding dues at one go.