The man, Rijo Antony, was arrested from his house at Chalakkudy in Thrissur district. Police said they have recovered Rs 10 lakh from him.
Published Feb 16, 2025 | 8:48 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 16, 2025 | 8:53 PM
The man, Rijo Antony, was picked up from his residence at Chalakkudy in Thrissur.
Synopsis: In a breakthrough two days after the bank robbery at Chalakkudy in Thrissur, police picked up a man from his house on Sunday, 16 February. His reported bid to mislead the probe by speaking Hindi did not work.
Police have arrested a man in connection with the daylight robbery at the Potta branch of the Federal Bank at Chalakkudy in Kerala’s Thrissur district.
Investigators on Sunday, 16 February, identified the man as Rijo Antony of Asharikkad in Chalakkudy. The Thrissur rural police picked him up from his home and recovered ₹10 lakh.
Rijo Antony.
It was reported that three wads of currency notes, amounting ₹15 lakh, were robbed from the bank at knifepoint around 2.15 pm on Friday, 14 February.
A man, wearing a helmet and gloves, had locked up the branch manager and a staff member in a toilet before smashing the glass partition of the teller’s cubicle and decamping with the cash. Other employees were out for lunch during the robbery.
Though the alleged robber had spoken in Hindi, police felt it was a red-herring, and he could be a Malayali.
Investigators have found that the scooter the man used had a fake registration plate. CCTV cameras installed at the bank had captured the visuals of the man. Police said the visuals helped in tracking down Antony.
Soon after the robbery, police swung into action, and a special investigation team was formed. The probe extended outside Kerala as well.
Earlier, investigators expressed suspicion that the man could have been an amateur. Though the cash counter had more cash, he took only three bundles before fleeing. It was suspected that he took by-lanes to avoid detection.
Following Antony’s arrest, police were trying to ascertain if he had acted alone.
