Thrissur: Rijo, the accused in the Potta bank robbery case, has been taken into police custody. 

The court on Tuesday granted his custody for only two days even though police on Monday submitted an application seeking five days' custody. The court has directed the police to present the accused again on February 20 at 10 am. The police sought his custody to gather more details, including whether Rijo had received any assistance either during or after the robbery. They also need to recover the remaining clothes worn by the accused during the crime.

During an evidence collection process conducted early Monday morning at Rijo’s residence, the police recovered Rs 12 lakh out of the Rs 15 lakh stolen from the bank. The knife used to threaten bank employees and the clothes Rijo wore during the robbery were also found at his house. The police also took Rijo to the bank where the crime took place for further evidence collection.

The robbery occurred on Friday during lunchtime at the Federal Bank branch in Potta, near Chalakudy. The accused carried out the heist wearing a black helmet, jacket and gloves. The bank's lunch break was from 2.00 pm to 2.30 pm, and at exactly 2.12 pm, the robber entered the premises. He parked his scooter behind a car in front of the bank before going inside. The bank had seven employees, but no security guard. One employee had stepped out for lunch, while four others were in a room having their meal.

At the time of the robbery, only the manager and another staff member were in the main hall. The accused threatened them with a knife and locked them in the dining room. After securing the room from the outside, he broke the cash counter glass and seized the money. Following the heist, he took multiple inner roads and changed routes in an attempt to mislead the police. However, despite these obstacles, the police successfully tracked him down, marking a remarkable breakthrough in the case.