Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP)

Kundapur, Mar 12: In an incident straight out of a movie script, a youth entered Hallady branch of Syndicate Bank in the guise of a customer on Thursday March 12, and brandishing a pistol, attempted to rob the bank. However, his attempt went futile as he was arrested with the help of the locals.

Ajith Shetty, all of 22 years, attempted a daring robbery at the bank, before he was arrested and produced in court.

Bank manager Jayanth Adiga and employee Sandeep

It is learnt that Ajith, wearing a helmet, entered the bank in the afternoon on Thursdayand started wandering around in the bank premises. The bank staff grew suspicious and questioned him. He then started writing a bank slip saying that he wanted to deposit some cash. The bank staff asked him to deposit the amount soon as it was time for lunch break.

A bank employee named Sandeep then came out of the bank, and Ajith allegedly threw a bomb-like object on this path and threatened that it would explode in the next five minutes. He also pointed a pistol on Sandeep's back and demanded Rs 50 lac and threatened to kill him if his demand was not met.

When Sandeep said the bank did not have that much money, Ajith told him to give him gold. Sandeep agreed to this and went inside the bank. By then, the alert bank manager had already informed the police. Ajith Shetty who came to know that the police were informed tried to run away from there, but the locals outside caught him and beat him up. The police who reached the spot arrested Ajith.

It is learnt that Ajith completed BCom in Belagavi and was employed in a restaurant there.

Dummy pistol: During interrogation, Ajith admitted that he had bought a dummy pistol for Rs 2,000. The bomb-like object he threw was just match boxes covered with paper. A car remote, a knife and a Honda Activa scooter without number plate were recovered from him.

Money for sister's wedding: Ajith said he had pledged his younger sister's gold ornaments to meet his own expenses, and now that her marriage was fixed, he needed money to get back the gold ornaments. He admitted to the police that he did this as he needed money.

No CCTV camera in the bank: The Hallady branch of the bank was opened just ten months ago and four people including a lady are employed here. There is no CCTV camera in the bank. If the accused had fled, it would not have been possible to arrest him, said the locals.