The Kerala police on Sunday, February 16, arrested a man in connection with the daylight robbery at the Potta branch of Federal Bank in Thrissur’s Chalakudy. The accused, Rijo Antony, a resident of Asarippara in Chalakudy, stole Rs 15 lakh from the bank on February 14. According to reports, the police recovered Rs 12 lakh from his house, and the remaining money was paid to a local debtor he had borrowed from.
A team of 25 officers, including experts from the Cyber Special Squad, investigated this case. According to the police, Rijo had a financial crisis, and that led him to commit this crime. He had reportedly spent the money his wife sent from a country in the Middle East, where she works, and he committed the robbery to repay his debt. Rijo lives just 3 kilometres from the bank.
According to B Krishnakumar, the SP of Thrissur Rural, Rijo meticulously planned the robbery. Police relied on CCTV footage to track him down. “He collected a number plate from another vehicle to change it after the heist. He also changed clothes three times during the entire heist. However, he did not change his shoes, and the colour of the shoes provided a clue for the investigation,” he told the media. Rijo also removed the mirror from his vehicle before the robbery and later fixed it to mislead the police when they checked the CCTV footage.
Police said Rijo observed the bank, where the money was kept and the employees, a few days prior to the heist. “He told us that he knew the banking hours and lunchtime of Federal Bank, as he has an account in the Chalakkudy branch. So he planned to execute the plan at lunchtime,” SP explained.
On the day of the heist, Rijo arrived around afternoon at the bank on a scooter. CCTV footage from the bank showed him wearing a helmet, mask, and gloves, making it difficult to identify the person. During that time, most of the bank employees were away for lunch. He threatened the bank manager with a knife and took the money. The heist occurred within minutes and he escaped swiftly.
The police are also looking into whether he had any accomplices for his crime.