A major burglary attempt at a Punjab National Bank branch in Bihar's Supaul district was thwarted before the thieves could get away with anything. The bank, located in Mahaddipur Bazar under Chhatapur police station limits, saw an attempted break-in on the night of July 2, when thieves broke the shutter lock and tried to force their way inside. Their plan fell apart because of the alertness of people returning from a wedding procession and, soon after, a police night patrol. CCTV footage of the incident is now spreading rapidly on social media.
Wedding guests spot the open shutter
According to the details that have emerged, a group of people travelling by car were returning to Mahaddipur late on the night of July 2 after attending a wedding procession. On the way, they noticed the bank's shutter was open. Suspicious, they went looking for the local night watchman, driving nearly 200 metres east to Jama Masjid Chowk. They found him there, brought him back with them and returned to the bank, where they discovered the main gate's shutter lock had been broken and the shutter was open.
Thieves were cutting through the grille lock
Reports indicate that after breaking the shutter lock, the thieves had begun cutting the lock on the grille fitted inside. It was at that exact moment that they spotted the headlights of the car carrying the wedding party returning home. Startled, they fled and hid in an adjoining jute field. The people who witnessed this quickly realised a burglary was underway at the bank.
A call to the building owner, then to police
One of the men in the car immediately phoned the building's owner, Manzar Khan, and told him what they had seen. Manzar Khan lost no time in informing the police station. Once the report came in, Chhatapur police station personnel and Triveniganj SDPO Vibhash Kumar reached the spot the next morning and began investigating the case.
CCTV camera smashed, power line cut
The police investigation found that the thieves had come prepared. Before attempting the break-in, they had smashed and damaged one CCTV camera installed outside the bank, and had ripped out and taken away a second camera. They had also cut the main power line near the meter to shut off the bank's electricity supply. Fortunately, the thieves never managed to get inside the bank, so no cash or property was stolen.
Police patrol saves the bank, burglars flee in the dark
Police said unidentified miscreants had taken advantage of the deserted night to cut through the bank's main shutter and try to force their way in. It was around this time that Chhatapur police, out on their night patrol, arrived near the bank. Spotting the suspicious activity, police moved to act immediately, but the moment the miscreants saw the police, they used the cover of darkness to flee the scene. That swift police response is credited with preventing what could have been a much bigger theft at the bank.
SP issues a statement, investigation continues
Asked about the case, ASP-cum-SDPO Vibhash Kumar said a thorough investigation was underway, with CCTV footage from the bank as well as the surrounding area being examined closely. The thieves' actions had been captured on another CCTV camera inside the bank, and that footage is now the one going viral. Supaul SP Sharath R S also issued a press release clarifying the sequence of events, stating that the attempted theft at the Mahdipur branch of Punjab National Bank (PNB) in the Chhatapur police station area was foiled due to police alertness. Senior police officers reached the spot as soon as the information came in and carried out a detailed inspection of the bank premises and the surrounding area. Police said raids are continuing, based on both technical and human intelligence, to identify and arrest the miscreants who fled.
