The incident comes exactly a week after four armed robbers took away close to Rs 5 lakh from a UCO Bank branch in Hauz Khas, South Delhi.

In both cases, incidentally, the bank guards were on leave; they had reportedly gone to their hometowns — in Sonepat and Jhajjar, adjacent cities in Haryana. Besides, police sources said, the general description of robbers and the modus operandi had similarities in both cases (see box).

The branch does not have CCTV cameras.

According to police and witnesses, the assailants locked up 18 people — 11 bank officials among them, including the branch manager and his deputy — in the storage room and the bathroom. The bank staff claimed they had panicked and thus did not activate the emergency alert, DCP (Outer) Atul Katiyar said.

The bank opens shutters for the public at 10 am, and the staff report half-an-hour before that. Police officers said the robbers apparently came around the same time and surveyed the single-storey building and the area around.

A few customers had come early to avoid the morning rush, an officer said. “At about 9.35 am, two assailants with countrymade pistols took the staff and some customers hostage,” the officer said. “A third assailant took position behind the gate overlooking the narrow passage leading to the entrance. As customers approached, the assailant pulled them inside, snatched their mobile phones and locked them in.”

A fourth assailant then took the locker key from deputy manager Dinesh and locked him in as well. Branch manager Rajender Kumar Meena walked in at 9.45 am and he, too, was locked in.

In all, 11 staffers, including three women, and seven customers were locked up. Eyewitnesses said the assailants manhandled several customers. Amit Raghav, 27, was inside when the robbery took place. He said: “The assailants appeared to be customers but then they pulled out their guns. I resisted initially but gave in after they hit me. They beat up the cashier badly.”

Branch manager Meena put the amount robbed at Rs 23,78,500.

Police officials said the assailants left cellphones they had taken away from staff and customers on the counter before leaving.

Hauz Khas link?
The Badli bank robbery and last Monday’s heist in the Hauz Khas bank could be related as the modus operandi and description of the robbers match, police sources said. The robbers did not use masks in either case, and looked to be in the 25-30 age group. Assailants appeared to have planned the heist to the finest detail. Even descriptions of guns used have matched, sources said. The team that investigated the earlier robbery, including the Hauz Khas SHO, visited the site today.