Daylight bank robbery in Singrauli:5 assailants open fire, hold staff and customers hostage; loots ₹30–35 lakh from Bank of Maharashtra

In a shocking daylight heist, five armed assailants looted cash worth approximately ₹30–35 lakh from a Bank of Maharashtra branch in Baidhan in Singrauli district on Friday afternoon. According to police, the incident occurred around 1 pm when the robbers entered the bank and took control of the premises. Eyewitness Ashish Kumar said two armed men initially entered the bank and held staff hostage. Within minutes, three more accomplices joined them, overpowering everyone inside. The robbers pointed guns at employees and customers, triggering panic inside the bank. Bank staff held hostage for 15–20 minutes The entire bank remained under the control of the robbers for nearly 15–20 minutes. During this time, the assailants threatened everyone at gunpoint and prevented any resistance. Eyewitness Ashish Pandey, who had gone to withdraw money, said the robbers entered, looked around, and then pulled out a pistol. “They held everyone hostage, threatened the staff, assaulted them, and fled after looting,” he said. Manager assaulted during robbery The robbers assaulted the bank manager while demanding access to cash. When he hesitated, they beat him and struck his head with the butt of a gun. After creating panic inside the bank, the accused fled with a cash box containing money and valuables. Police launch manhunt, seal exit points Following the incident, police launched a massive search operation. Singrauli Superintendent of Police Manish Khatri reached the spot with his team. All exit points in the city have been sealed, and CCTV footage from the bank and nearby areas is being examined to trace the robbers’ escape route. Police said the accused fled on motorcycles. SP Khatri confirmed that five individuals carried out the robbery around 12:50 pm and escaped with cash and jewellery. He said the accused would be arrested soon. Cash and jewellery looted; exact amount yet to be confirmed Preliminary reports suggest that around ₹14–15 lakh was already present in the bank from the previous day, while the remaining amount was part of the day’s collection. Gold and silver items were also reportedly looted. Police said the exact value of the stolen cash and valuables is yet to be determined. No security guard present, sne shot fired Police said there was no security guard present at the bank during the incident. The robbers also fired one round, though no injuries were reported. Investigators noted that one of the accused was wearing a helmet, while the other four had their faces uncovered. Statements of eyewitnesses and bank staff are being recorded.