Kerala bank heist: ₹12 lakh, clothes and knife recovered from house of accused

Chalakkudy (Kerala): The police on Monday morning conducted an evidence collection at the residence of Rijo Antony, the accused in the Federal Bank robbery in Potta. Rijo is alleged to have stolen ₹15 lakh from the bank. Of this amount, ₹12 lakh was recovered from his house, along with the clothes he changed and the knife used during the robbery. The remaining amount was returned by Rijo to a native of Annanadu, who had lent him ₹2.90 lakh. 

Following Rijo’s arrest, the Annanadu native handed over the money to the police at Chalakudy DySP office. The police have stated that Rijo used the stolen funds to buy liquor and other items. 

Rijo will be taken to the bank where the incident took place to gather further evidence. It is reported that the accused will be produced in court later on Monday afternoon.

The incident occurred during the lunch break on Friday at the bank branch located on the old national highway, near Potta Little Flower Church. At around 2.12 pm, the masked thief, wearing a black helmet, jacket and gloves, entered the bank after parking his scooter behind a car in front of the building.

With no security guards present, he easily overpowered the employees. Threatening the manager and another staff member at knife point, he forced them into the dining room, where four others were eating. After locking them inside, he broke open the cash counter with a chair and grabbed three cash bundles.

After the robbery, Rijo took several steps to avoid detection. He changed clothes three times, used a fake number plate on his scooter, and attached a rearview mirror. He also altered his escape route by taking side roads to evade the police. After the robbery, Rijo swapped outfits at a location without CCTV coverage. Despite his efforts, the police managed to catch him by noticing a distinct colour under his shoes, which led to his arrest.