Alert staff foil robbery bid

4 unidentified robbers enter Muthoot Finance branch at Mailardevpally and pull out knife, firearm; alert employees thwart the bid

​Hyderabad: In what resembled a stirring scene from a Bollywood potboiler, alert employees of a private finance company thwarted the attempt of four robbers to plunder the firm at gunpoint here on Tuesday.

Four unidentified men entered a branch of Muthoot Finance at Mailardevpally of Rajendranagar police station limits in an apparent intention to rob the firm. However, the robbers fled as the employees displayed presence of mind and rang the alarm at the right time.

According to the police, four persons entered the office of Muthoot Finance while another waited in a car meant to use as getaway vehicle. CCTV footage shows two men at the counter, one of them looking behind to see two more men enter.

The next moment, one of the two men at the counter jumped over the counter, pulling out a knife, while the two new entrants pulled out a gun in a bid to rob money and valuables. However, the branch manager Lateef activated the emergency alarm alerting the people outside the office, who rushed in for help, the police said.

Sensing danger of being caught, the robbers took to heels and then boarded the car waiting outside and vanished. The employees of the finance company informed the police about the incident. The Rajendranagar police rushed to the place and launched investigations.

CCTV footages from the building and the surrounding areas have been collected for analysis and to identify the robbers and the getaway vehicle. The police said the incident occurred around 10.10 am. One of the employees told the police that the robbers had entered the finance office asking for a loan. Even as the employee was explaining the formalities, they pulled out the knife and even gun. However, alert employees averted the robbery. The police launched a manhunt for the robbers.

It may be recalled that an interstate gang of dacoits had looted Muthoot Finance in Ramachandrapuram in December last year in which 42 kg gold was taken away. Though some of the dacoits were arrested later, the police could recover only a small portion of the stolen gold since some more members of the gang are still at large. Meanwhile, police teams found the getaway vehicle used by the robbers.

The vehicle was abandoned in the parking area of Happy Homes Apartments at Upparpally area under the limits of Rajendranagar police station. As soon as the vehicle was found in the evening, additional forces were rushed to the area and cordoned off the apartment, suspecting that the robbers could be hiding in one of the apartment blocks.