Kerala knifepoint bank robbery: police arrests suspect
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Thrissur: Kerala Police arrested the suspect of a broad daylight bank robbery in Kerala's Thrissur district, where the robber put the bank authorities at knifepoint before fleeing with approximately Rs 15 lakh in cash, on Sunday. The arrested man has been identified as Rijo Antony, a native of Chalakudy, police said. During interrogation, Antony admitted to stealing the money to repay his debts. He was arrested from his residence, PTI reported.
Police recovered around Rs 10 lakh from his possession and efforts are underway to trace the remaining amount.
The bike-borne miscreant robbed the bank near Chalakudy around 2.15 pm on Friday.
The CCTV footage showed the alleged robber arriving on a scooter with a bag on his back, wearing a helmet, a jacket and gloves.
Footage from inside the bank showed the robber locking some staff members inside a room before forcefully breaking into the cash counter and filling his bag with the money.
An inquiry based on the CCTV footage and phone call records led to the arrest.
The accused confessed that he had visited the bank earlier, police sources said.
He is known to lead a lavish lifestyle, with his wife working as a nurse abroad. His habit was to squander the money she sent. The robbery was allegedly intended to deposit the stolen money in the bank before his wife's return, sources added.
Police confirmed that the recovered cash was the same amount stolen from the bank.