SRINAGAR: In Jammu and Kashmir, which has mostly remained unaffected by scrapping of Rs 500 and 1000 notes and where no lines or queues can be seen outside ATMs or banks, suspected militants in third bank robbery after demonetization looted about Rs 10 lakhs from a bank in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday.
Sources said a group of four gunmen barged into the Jammu and Kashmir Bank branch at Rantipora in Pulwama district today.
“The militants snatched 9.84 lakhs from the bank and fled the spot before police and security personnel could reach the area,” they said.
After the bank robbery, police, paramilitary and army men rushed to the area and launched a combing and search operation to track the bank robbers.
SP Pulwama Rayees Mohammad Bhat told Express that four armed militants were involved in the bank robbery.
He said of the Rs 9.84 lakhs looted by the militants, only Rs 16000 were old currency notes while the rest were valid currency notes including new notes.
The official said there were no security guards in the bank when it was robbed. “It was not being guarded by any security guard”.
Asked whether the bank robbery was the handiwork of militants, the police official said, “Of course, it is. The militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba are involved in the bank robbery.”
He said after going through CCTV footage, they found that four LeT militants were involved in the attack.
“We have identified the militants. Two of them are Pakistani militants while two others are locals,” Bhat said.
He said the same group of militants is involved in all the three bank robberies that have taken place in the Valley after demonetization of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes on November 8.
It is also the second bank robbery within a week in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, which has been the epicentre of the ongoing unrest in the Valley.
On December 8, militants had looted Rs 13.38 lanks from Jammu and Bank branch at Arihal in Pulwama district.
On November 21, suspected militants had looted Rs 13 lakh from a bank in Chrar-e-Sharief area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
Asked whether police have taken preventive measures to stop bank robberies, SP Pulwama said, “We have taken some steps including providing security to bank branches in sensitive areas besides increasing patrol by the security personnel”..
Jammu and Kashmir, especially Valley has mostly remained unaffected by demonetization announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month. There has been no chaos and queues outside the ATMs or banks in the Valley.