Bullet spray in bank cash loot

Four youths fired at least eight bullets, injuring two custodians of a bag containing Rs 39 lakh, and escaped with the money while it was being brought from the safe custody of Sonarpur police station to a nearby post office on Monday morning.

Postmaster Brindachal Ram and home guard Sujit Halder, in the three-member group that was carrying the cash, suffered critical bullet injuries. One bullet missed the other member, Manoranjan Nayek, by a whisker.

“Post offices in rural areas keep their cash in the safety of police custody beyond duty hours,” said Ashok Kole, the divisional superintendent (South Presidency) of the postal department. The cash is brought back to the bank in the morning.

Local residents alleged that despite so many shots being fired barely 30 metres from the police station, cops took more than 10 minutes to turn up. The criminals had fled by then. Officers, however, claimed that their men had reached the spot “soon after” the gunshots were heard.

“We were under the impression that the sub-post office was at the safest possible location, almost next door to the largest police station in South 24-Parganas. The morning incident has shattered our faith,” said Kole.

The post office is on the first floor of a market complex, which also houses a bank and a CESC collection centre.

It was around 9.45am when Ram, Halder and Nayek (a Group D employee of the post office) were bringing the gunny bag containing the cash from the police station.

The trio — Nayek was carrying the bag — entered the market complex through a rear gate. “As we were walking down a narrow passage towards the staircase, two of the criminals started firing at us from behind,” recalled Nayek.

“The postmaster and the home guard were hit and they slumped to the ground. Then another two men appeared in front. One of them aimed at me but the bullet zipped past. His companion then lunged at me and snatched the bag. The four then ran out and fled on two motorcycles,” said Nayek.

Cops later found one bullet and eight shells in the building. District police chief L.N. Meena said: “We have started an inquiry but no one has been arrested.”

Ram, 55, and Halder, 50, have been admitted to the intensive therapy unit of the Rabindranath Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences. “Their condition is critical. They will undergo surgery tomorrow for the removal of the bullets,” said Joydeep Mukherjee, the medical superintendent of the hospital.

Halder suffered multiple bullet injuries and fractures in his hands and spine, while one bullet is lodged just above the hip joint of Ram.


The Telegraph Metro