Patna: English teacher, karate trainer turn out to be masterminds in PNB heist, five held, Rs 33 lakh recovered

PATNA: It might seem unbelievable but an English teacher, a black belt holder karate trainer, a compounder, a centring mechanic with few others had pulled up plan of Punjab National Bank (PNB) Anisabad branch heist from where Rs 52.33 lakh were looted after taking employees and customers hostage on gunpoint in state capital in broad daylight on June 22.
The English teacher Aman Kumar alias Satyam Shukla, trainer Hari Narayan, mechanic Sone Lal, compounder Praffulla Kumar with clinic on Boring road and one Ganesh Kumar were arrested from Bank colony under Jakkanpur police station area on Friday.All arrested criminals were aged between late 20s to early 30s.
Police altogether recovered Rs 33.13 lakh of looted amount, five pistols including a semiautomatic one, 16 live cartridges, three two-wheelers of which two were used in crime, liquor purchased from looted money for selling in market and gold jewellery worth Rs 4 lakh looted in February this year on basis of their confession. Three criminal were still evading arrest.
Criminals also told police that they had actually looted Rs 46 lakh instead of Rs 52.33 lakh mentioned by bank in FIR.
Patna SSP Upendra Kumar Sharma said Aman, Hari and Sone knew each other from earlier and they were planning the loot since December last year.
"Aman was an English teacher at coaching institute in Anisabad. He lived at a rented accommodation in Bank colony since decade. He was well known and had taught at several institutes in Patna as well as in Muzaffarpur. Rest four had come to meet Aman when they were nabbed after human surveillance for several days," he said adding it was Aman who had first planned the loot as bank fell on way to his residence.
"Aman, Hari and Sone confessed had they had looted gas agency in SK Puri in 2015 and were also involved in loot of Rs 1.8 lakh along with gold jewellery worth around Rs 4 lakh from First Cry showroom in Kankarbagh on February 23 this year," he said.
Kumar said none from them had criminal record because which it tough for police to track them even after going through several major cash and bank loot incidents that took place in last several years in Patna and other districts.
"We believe Aman, Hari and Sone are involved in several other loots but were successful in evading police’s radar. It is impossible that they dared to loot bank just with two crimes," he said.
SSP said Aman’s share was Rs 25 lakh of which he spent Rs 2 lakh for several purpose including renting a new flat for family in Bank colony, Hari got Rs 3 lakh, Sone got Rs 7 lakh of which he gave Rs 1 lakh to sister, Prafulla got Rs 2 lakh of which Rs 50000 was recovered and Ganesh received Rs 2 lakh of which he spent Rs 1 lakh on buying liquor to sell it on higher price.
"Three criminals with Rs 10 lakh share are evading arrest. According to arrested criminals, they laid hands on Rs 46 lakh. We are assuming that Rs 52.33 lakh was looted but bank manager had been asked to get amount verified once again,” he said.