On Friday, Saju Samuel, a systems administrator, was called to the Nashik office of Muthoot Finance from its regional office in Mumbai to attend to some technical glitches. Little did he know that this would be the last few hours of his life. A gang of dacoits barged into the office in Untwadi area and carried out an armed robbery, also killing Saju. (Muthoot Finance is a large gold financing company headquartered in Kochi).
The incident took place around 11 am on Friday when Saju, a native of Mavelikkara in Kerala, was called to inspect a few systems at Muthoot’s Nashik office near City Centre Mall. According to an official at the head office of Muthoot Finance in Kochi, at the time that the security personnel at the office were opening the doors of a chamber where the gold is stored, a few masked people barged into the office, pushed security inside and locked the door from inside.
“Someone in the office pushed the alarm button. They (dacoits) came out of the chamber hearing this and started beating up two to three staffers. Seeing this, Saju reacted and tried to intervene. That is when one of the armed robbers took out a gun, fired at him and decamped. Everything took place in a matter of few minutes,” the Muthoot official told TNM.
According to Nashik police, the manager of the branch was hit on the head and is undergoing treatment.
Speaking to the media, a police official in Nashik said, “There has been an unfortunate incident. Four to five people entered Muthoot Finance with revolvers, fired shots and tried to loot the branch. A detailed inquiry is underway. We are on the lookout for the persons involved. All of Nashik police, crime branch, Zone-I and Zone-II are trying to detect this crime and we will soon detect it.”
Another police officer told the media that they have installed checkpoints, sealed the borders and checking is underway. He also said that there are no material losses.
A native of Mavelikkara, Saju has been working with Muthoot Finance for the last three and a half years. He is survived by his wife and an infant. The family was residing in Mumbai.
Saju's body, which is currently kept at the Nashik Civil Hospital, will be sent to Mumbai for embalming and then to his native, reported Manorama.