Tension prevailed among the staff and customers of a bank on Friday afternoon when a man threatened to blow up the bank if he was not handed over money. But he was caught while trying to escape with Rs 9.9 lakh.
The incident took place in the HDFC Bank on CMH Road, Indiranagar police station limits. The accused, Pranjal Bhattacharjee, is a native of Guwahati and a resident of Malleshpalya. He works for an IT company in the city.
The police said Bhattacharjee (34) entered the bank under the pretext of opening a new account. After a while he reportedly approached the manager and demanded money by displaying a fake bomb strapped to his body. On seeing the bomb, many people fled, leaving only four people behind.
A staff member alerted the police.
The police observed the scene for about half-an-hour from the main door while Bhattacharjee filled cash into his bags. Just as he was trying to make a getaway, police surrounded him and asked him to surrender.
He threatened the police too but they understood Bhattacharjee’s threats were empty and nabbed him when he tried to ‘explode’ the bomb by pressing random keys on his mobile phone.
Bhattacharjee told the police he had arrived at the bank on his bike and strapped the bomb on his body in the nearby Thippasandra park.
During interrogation, he confessed that he was burdened by financial crisis. He said he was constantly harassed by his wife because he had pledged her gold ornaments. With no other option in sight, he planned the bank robbery. Bhattacharjee said it took him an entire night to make the fake bomb. The Indiranagar police have registered a case and investigation is on.