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.