A 31-year-old man was arrested in Kolkata’s Survey Park area on Saturday a day after he allegedly attempted to rob a nationalised bank using a pistol-shaped gas-lighter. Besides the toy gun, a knife was seized by the police from his possession. The accused, who is a customer of the same bank, was under stress for not being able to repay his home loan and other expenses amid his wife’s pregnancy. He has been arrested by Survey Park Police.
The accused, Dalim Basu, is an employee of the Department of Post and resident of Avenue South in Santoshpur. Basu went to SBI Santoshpur Branch around 3 pm on Friday and showed the toy gun, threatening the customers and bank employees to hand him everything they had, as informed by the police.
The man had a bank loan amounting to Rs 30-35 lakhs
“During interrogation, the suspect revealed he attempted the robbery to manage his outstanding bank loans, estimated between Rs 30-35 lakhs. He cited financial pressure from EMI payments and his wife’s upcoming delivery as factors that made him attempt the heist,” said joint CP (crime & traffic) Rupesh Kumar.
While initially a tense atmosphere was created within the branch with everyone trying to save their lives, the bank manager and customers caught the man from behind after realising that he was holding a toy gun, as stated by the police. He was handed over to the police and subsequently arrested.
Accused popular as Durga Puja organiser in locality
The police stated that the accused tried to threaten people present at the bank with a gun-shaped gas lighter and a foldable knife. The man entered the bank around 2.45 pm, locked the entrance gate, and threatened the branch manager with his fake firearm asking for cash.
The accused lives within 100 metres from the bank branch which he tried to rob. He is employed in the role of sorting assistant at the Indian Postal Department. He also plays an active role as a committee member of the local Durga Puja celebrations. The accused has an account at the same bank branch he attempted to rob.
