At around 10.30 AM on Monday morning, five armed robbers entered the Udaipur branch of Mannapuram Finance Limited and held all staff and security hostage at gunpoint before decamping with 20 kg gold valued at over Rs 12 crore and Rs 10 lakh in cash.
On Tuesday, the police said that the robbery was pre-planned and appeared to be the work of professionals. “We are investigating all angles and using technical support too, to trace the miscreants,” Vikas Sharma, Superintendent of Police, Udaipur told The Indian Express.
According to the police, the incident occurred on Monday morning when masked men entered the branch of Manappuram Finance Limited in Udaipur, held the staff hostage at gunpoint, and decamped with more than 20 kg gold worth nearly Rs 12 crore and Rs 10 lakh cash. All miscreants were armed with guns.
According to a staff member who spoke to The Indian Express, one of the five robbers entered the branch first. He was followed by four others “They tied all the staff of the branch, including the manager, with tape and at gunpoint, took the person who had the key to the safe,” he said.
The employee, an auditor, said that the robbers then emptied the entire safe which had cash and gold and left. As per the employee, none of the staff could raise an alarm or inform the police since they were all duct-taped and held hostage at gunpoint. “They also tied a customer who had come to the branch to pay interest,” he added.
According to the police, the claims by the staff were verified through CCTV footage which shows one of the gunmen holding the staff at gunpoint. According to the Udaipur SP, the robbers made away with over 20 kg gold and around Rs 10 lakh cash. “We are making all efforts to trace them,” he added.