The prime suspect in the burglary at the Indian Overseas Bank branch in Chennai was arrested in Nepal on Thursday. The burglary, which took place at the bank’s Virugambakkam branch, alarmed residents in the city as the security guard — a Nepal native — allegedly made away with Rs 30 lakh in cash and several sovereigns of jewellery.
On Wednesday evening, the Chennai city police reportedly flew to Nepal. According to the Times of India, Shabi Lal was arrested on Thursday with the help of the Interpol in Nepal based on a tip-off given by the Central Bureau of Investigation. However, the Chennai police are awaiting clearance from authorities in Nepal, who are following extradition procedures according to a treaty signed between the two countries.
The police are at the India-Nepal border and have sought permission to bring Shabi Lal to Chennai to arrest him.
A police officer told ToI that the Chennai police is required to submit documents and evidence linking the accused to the crime to the CBI, who will then submit it to the Interpol. The Interpol, in turn, will hand over these documents to the authorities in Nepal.
Shabi Lal was reportedly arrested next to his native village.
The police had also zeroed in on a shop in Aminjikarai from where the suspects had reportedly bought gas cylinders for the burglary, TNIE said.
According to police sources, Shabi Lal, who was staying on the first floor of the bank’s building, had helped his accomplices enter the bank by drilling a hole into the roof. A gas cylinder with two cutter nozzles had been used for this purpose. The police suspect that the same cutter was used to pry open the lockers.
Even as the police try to close the case, the customers whose valuables were stolen lodged a complaint with the police. The customers reportedly said that one chest contained 100 sovereigns of jewellery and another 4.5 sovereigns.