Punjab: 5 armed robbers loot Rs 8 lakh from PNB branch in Kapurthala

Chandigarh: Five unidentified robbers looted close to Rs 8 lakh from a branch of Punjab National Bank (PNB) situated on the Hoshiarpur road in Phagwara here, said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kapurthala, Satinder Singh.

"At around 12 pm, five armed robbers came inside the bank premises and took away approximately Rs 8 lakh cash from the bank.

We have begun an investigation in the matter and are confident of nabbing the criminals soon," Singh told reporters here on Tuesday. The police have taken the CCTV footage from the bank premises and are using them to trace the culprits.

The police official added that he would request all the banks in the area to hire guards, following reports that the PNB bank which had been looted had no security personnel at its disposal. "Regarding the security guard issue we have requested banks, held meetings with them asking them to keep security guards because these guards are necessary for the security of all financial institutions," Singh said.

Kulwant Kaur, a bystander during the loot, explaining the happenings of the incident said, "At first one guy came and then four others arrived with pistols. They took the mobiles of all the people present in the bank and then carried out the act. Nobody was hurt in the incident.