A daylight armed robbery took place at a State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Surat’s Varachha area, as revealed by CCTV footage showing armed men entering and fleeing with cash. The incident involved five to six armed assailants arriving on motorcycles during a cash delivery through a CMS van at Long Hanuman Road. The robbers were seen threatening staff, collecting cash, and disabling security systems inside the bank.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-1) Alok Kumar stated that the accused used weapons during the robbery, looting around Rs 50 lakh from the branch. The police are actively investigating the incident, tracking the accused individuals and examining CCTV footage to confirm the use of pistols as initially reported. Teams from Zone-1 police and the Crime Branch are involved in the investigation, with efforts to trace the suspects’ route after the robbery.
Eyewitnesses from the CMS cash delivery team noted that the robbery occurred right after the cash was brought into the branch. Shivpoojan Singh, a gunman with the cash van, mentioned that the incident unfolded inside the bank while they were there to deposit the money. Authorities are probing whether the robbery was pre-planned and if the cash movement was specifically targeted, while working towards identifying and apprehending the culprits.
