Thrissur, Feb 17 (IANS) After facing criticism from several quarters, the Kerala Police won praise on Monday for their swift action in arresting Rijo Antony, a local resident of Chalakudy, in connection with the daring daylight heist at the Federal Bank branch in Pota, near Chalakudy, Thrissur.
Antony, who lived near the bank, managed to decamp with Rs 15 lakh on his second attempt on Friday. Armed with a knife, he stormed into the bank and within three minutes grabbed cash from the counter’s cash box after threatening the staff and fled.
The only initial clue was CCTV footage showing the suspect arriving on a two-wheeler, wearing a helmet and a jacket, and carrying a shoulder bag. He parked in front of the bank before entering, brandished a knife at two staff members, forced them into a cabin, and smashed the glass panes of the cash counter with a chair before making off with the cash.
For the next 56 hours, the police launched an intensive investigation. Late on Sunday, a large contingent of armed officers tracked down the suspect to his residence, where they were taken aback to find a lavish mansion. Antony was taken into custody and soon confessed to the crime.
Investigations revealed that Antony had returned from abroad a few years ago with his two young children, while his wife continued to work as a nurse in Kuwait. After his return, he remained unemployed and led a lavish lifestyle with his friends. He admitted to police that he had accumulated debts amounting to Rs 5 million and was growing anxious as his wife was set to return for good. He had squandered all the money she had entrusted to him.
Police discovered that Antony had initially planned the heist on February 11 but postponed it after spotting a police jeep near the bank. CCTV footage from Monday also showed him participating in a church festival near his house. On that day, he removed the registration plate from a two-wheeler and later affixed it to his own scooter to carry out the robbery.
The breakthrough in the case came when police traced the scooter used in the heist, which had advanced logistic controls, leading them directly to Antony. He confessed that he had used part of the stolen money to pay off a friend’s debt of Rs 2.90 lakh, while the remaining amount was recovered from his house on Monday.
On Sunday night, after news of Antony’s arrest spread, the friend who had received Rs 2.90 lakh voluntarily appeared at the police station, claiming he was unaware that the money was stolen.
Antony’s friends and relatives were left in shock following his arrest. He will soon be produced before a local court and is expected to be remanded.
Meanwhile, the police are continuing their probe to determine whether he had any accomplices. One baffling aspect of the case remains — bank staff confirmed that Rs 45 lakh, stacked in nine bundles, was on the counter at the time, yet Antony took only three bundles, leaving behind the rest.
–IANS
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