Thrissur: The investigation into the Federal Bank robbery in Chalakudy’s Potta, where the accused carried out the heist at knifepoint in just three minutes, has taken a new turn. CCTV footage suggests that the suspect initially misled the police by heading towards Angamaly before changing direction towards Thrissur. This finding has led to an intensified search across Thrissur, Palakkad, and Malappuram districts. A special team led by Chalakudy DySP K Sumesh has been assigned to investigate the robbery.

A team of over 20 police officers spent the night scrutinising CCTV footage, which revealed the suspect's attempts to deceive the authorities. Following this discovery, surveillance has been increased, particularly at district borders. However, the accused remains untraceable.

Investigators suspect the robber may have already left the state. Another mystery puzzling the police is why the suspect stole only ₹15 lakh when ₹47 lakh was available. The entire robbery lasted just three minutes, with only eight seconds spent at the cash counter. Instead of grabbing as much cash as possible, the suspect took three specific bundles amounting to ₹15 lakh. Police are working to determine why this was the case.

The suspect spoke in Hindi during the heist, seemingly to mislead the police. However, officers noted that he used very few words in Hindi. North Indian robbery gangs typically grab as much cash as possible during such crimes, leading police to suspect that the accused could be a Malayali.

One of the biggest challenges in the investigation is identifying the getaway vehicle. The suspect managed to avoid most CCTV cameras along the highway, and investigators have not yet been able to determine the vehicle’s registration number.