Rs 50k reward announced after Singraulibank heist; one held

Bhopal: Police on Saturday announced a Rs 50,000 reward for information on five armed men behind a 15-minute daylight heist at a Bank of Maharashtra branch in Singrauli a day ago, even as one suspect was arrested with part of the stolen cash and jewellery.The robbery, carried out between 12.50 pm and 1.05 pm on Friday at the Baidhan branch on Vindhyanagar Road, saw the gang decamp with over Rs 20 lakh in cash and pledged gold estimated at 6-7 kg, linked to loans worth around Rs 5.5 crore. Armed with pistols and country-made firearms, the accused stormed the bank, held staff and customers hostage, and fled after firing a shot to terrorise those present.Acting swiftly, Director General of Police Kailash Makwana announced a cash reward for information leading to the arrest of the unidentified accused, signalling the seriousness with which the state has taken the incident. Senior officers, including the DGP and SDGP (Rewa zone), rushed to the spot soon after the incident, reviewed the crime scene and held a late-night meeting with local police, directing intensified searches, tighter checkpoints and coordinated action across district and state borders.Police said sustained efforts through the night and technical surveillance yielded the first breakthrough, with one suspect apprehended along with lakhs in cash and jewellery. Sources indicated that the accused was picked up with cash and gold ornaments worth lakhs, believed to be part of the looted property. Raids are ongoing to trace the remaining members of the gang, with multiple teams fanned out across neighbouring states, particularly Bihar, where some leads have emerged.Investigators are scanning CCTV footage and tracking movement patterns to piece together the escape route and identify the entire network behind what is suspected to be a well-planned operation. Officials said more arrests are expected soon as pressure mounts on the absconding accused.