Impending return of his wife was Rijo’s motive to loot. Police nabbed the culprit, an idler who took care of the couple’s two children and used up the money his nurse wife sent him from abroad; he had reportedly also got into debt.
Published Feb 18, 2025 | 4:00 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 18, 2025 | 4:00 PM
Synopsis: Rijo Antony’s wife was due to visit and that made him desperate. He had incurred debt of about Rs 10 lakh and wanted to clear it; he looted only Rs 15 lakh from the bank’s cash counter, leaving the remaining Rs 40 lakh untouched. He changed his outfit a few times and threw investigators off, but missed changing his shoes.
There’s no such thing as a perfect crime — every case, no matter how cleverly executed, leaves behind a trail of clues waiting to be pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle.
The Potta bank heist was no different. The robber, masked, donning a helmet and armed with a knife, stormed the branch of the Federal Bank on 14 February, making off with ₹15 lakh in broad daylight, the robbery executed in less than three minutes.
He threw investigators off with calculated misdirection; even so, the pieces of the puzzle quickly began to fall into place.
Just two days later, the police cracked the case, leading to the arrest of Rijo Antony from Chalakkudy.
A senior police official told South First that the investigation team narrowed down on Rijo after analysing 15 to 20 different possibilities.
Crucial evidence, including CCTV footage from the bank and the Little Flower Church opposite it, played a key role in the breakthrough.
Investigators believe that Rijo meticulously studied every detail before executing the robbery.
His knowledge of banking hours, staff presence, security measures, and CCTV placements — both inside the bank and along his escape route — suggests careful preparation.
He intentionally chose pocket roads with minimal surveillance, ensuring minimal digital footprints.
Rijo took elaborate measures to mislead investigators.
He wore a helmet, jacket, and gloves, making it difficult to gather any forensic evidence.
Adding to the deception, he spoke in Hindi while threatening the bank staff at knifepoint.
“The robber used two Hindi phrases —‘Chabi kahaan hai?’ (Where is the key?) and ‘Paise kidhar hai?’ (Where is the money?) — to create the impression that he was a North Indian. (Newspaper reports of the crime mentioned that the man spoke in Hindi.)
This was a deliberate attempt to misdirect the police, knowing that a North Indian gang looted three ATMs in Thrissur in September 2024,” said the officer.
To further evade capture, Rijo made multiple outfit changes at locations without CCTV coverage. He never removed his helmet, altered his vehicle’s appearance by switching between one and two rearview mirrors, and used a fake number plate.
“At first, the two-wheeler had no rearview mirrors. Then, he placed one. Later, he had two. Every move was designed to confuse us. He was successful to an extent,” the officer admitted.
With no direct evidence linking him to the crime, the investigation extended as far as Assam and West Bengal. Officers combed through the Integrated Criminal Justice System, a nationwide database of criminals, while simultaneously pursuing local leads.
“The irony! Rijo was just an earshot away from us the whole time,” the officer said.
The special investigation team, under the guidance of Thrissur Range DIG Hari Sankar IPS and Thrissur Rural SP B Krishnakumar, played a crucial role in solving the case.
Both officers, known for their expertise in cybercrime and forensic investigations, led the team with precision.
One of the biggest breakthroughs came when investigators identified the getaway vehicle — a TVS Ntorq scooter in top frost colour.
The police reached out to TVS dealerships and the Regional Transport Office (RTO) to compile a list of 1,500-1,700 customers who owned this model in the locality.
“If it were a rare or luxury vehicle, we could have identified him much faster,” an investigator remarked.
As the robber talked in Hindi, the manhunt soon expanded nationwide, with alerts sounded at railway stations and other transit points.
What set this crime apart was the lack of professional execution.
A seasoned criminal would have covered all tracks, but Rijo made critical errors —his shoes, for instance.
While he changed his outfit after the robbery, he failed to change his shoes, leaving behind a crucial clue.
The distinctive colour of his footwear helped investigators narrow down their search.
The police also deployed cybercrime experts to analyse mobile phone records.
By scanning the tower location data of all mobile users near the bank during the robbery, they found a significant lead — Rijo was carrying his phone at the time of the crime, further confirming his presence.
As the manhunt intensified, investigators stumbled upon a key witness — a local woman — who pointed them in Rijo’s direction.
When police arrived at his house, they found both the TVS Ntorq scooter and the same pair of shoes he wore during the crime.
Despite his belief that he was untraceable, Rijo had unknowingly left behind a trail of evidence that led police right to him.
Investigators suspected that this was not a professional robbery, right from the start.
Rijo took only ₹15 lakh, leaving behind over ₹40 lakh in the bank’s cash counter — an unusual move for a planned heist.
His motive? An urge to repay all debts before his wife returned from abroad
Rijo reportedly owed lakhs and had been surviving on the money his wife sent from abroad.
But as her return date neared, fear gripped him, pushing him to stage a desperate robbery.
The SIT successfully recovered Rs 14.90 lakh stolen from the Federal Bank branch; Rijo Antony had stolen Rs 15 lakh.
On Sunday, a local debtor returned ₹2.9 lakh to the Chalakudy DySP office, and the remaining ₹12 lakh was found hidden on a shelf in the accused’s bedroom.
During evidence collection at his residence on Monday, authorities also seized the knife and clothes Rijo used in the robbery.
Rijo was taken to his home early in the day as part of the investigation and will next be brought to the bank for further evidence collection.
The Chalakkudy Judicial First Class Magistrate Court II remanded accused Rijo Antony to 14 days in judicial custody. Antony was arrested on Sunday from his residence.
Police found the knife and clothes used in the robbery hidden in his kitchen
Following a medical examination, he was produced before the court, which ordered his remand. The police have sought a five-day custody extension for further questioning.
Rijo Antony is apparently known as a friendly man, regularly attending local community events. His neighbours say he returned from abroad during the Covid-19 pandemic, and was living at his current home for two and a half years.
He was well known even in the local church, and was described as a cheerful and cooperative person. He was a familiar face at social gatherings, and organised celebrations at the local church.
His wife, a nurse working overseas, left Rijo in charge of their two children — one in Plus One and the other in Class IV.
After sending them to school each day, he would stay at home.
His wife and children are reeling from the shock of his Valentine’s Day adventure. Even on the very day of the incident, Rijo hosted a family gathering, serving tea, and samosas to about twenty attendees in the afternoon, between 2.30 and 4.30 pm. The robbery occurred at 2.12 pm.
Police were patrolling the area at the time of the family get-together; Rijo reportedly told his guests that there was dim chance of the police nabbing the culprit. By 6 pm, the police were at his door.
(Rosamma Thomas)
