Knife-Wielding Robber Steals Rs 15 L From Bank Near Thrissur's Chalakudy; Manhunt Underway

The CCTV footage from the bank also captured him speaking in Hindi, though police have not ruled out the possibility that this was a deliberate tactic to mislead investigators.

A man armed with a knife stole approximately Rs 15 lakh from a bank near Thrissur's Chalakudy on Friday. The CCTV footage of the incident, which has since gone viral, shows the suspect calmly carrying out the heist. The robber, wearing a helmet, jacket, and gloves, arrived on a scooter and brandished a knife to intimidate the staff. 

According to police, as per The New Indian Express, the accused entered the bank during the afternoon hours when most staff members were on a lunch break. Only the bank manager and an attendant were present at the time. He locked some employees in a room before breaking into the cash counter and stuffing his bag with bundles of cash.

The footage also captured him speaking in Hindi, though police have not ruled out the possibility that this was a deliberate tactic to mislead investigators. "Speaking Hindi does not necessarily mean the man is not a Malayali. It could be a tactic to mislead everyone," a senior police officer stated, as per PTI.

The Chalakudy police station received an alert about the robbery through the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) and immediately dispatched a team to the scene. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to expedite the probe with the primary focus on apprehending the suspect. Police have identified the direction in which the accused fled and are working to track him down.

Authorities are also reviewing the bank’s security measures, though officials emphasised that the immediate priority is to catch the culprit. "The primary objective is to catch the culprit. Whether there were adequate security measures in place at the bank is secondary, which can be gone into later," a senior officer said, as per the agency report.