Gone in 2.5 minutes: Man walks into Kerala bank, locks up staff, escapes with Rs 15 lakh

According to police, CCTV visuals showed the backpack-wearing man pulling up outside the Federal Bank branch at Potta in Thrissur district at around 1.30 pm on Friday — when most of the staff was away on lunch break.

The footage shows the man threatening the two staff members on duty with a knife and locking them inside the washroom. He then smashes down the glass chamber of the cash counter using a chair and escapes with the cash. The entire sequence, said police, took only two-and-a-half minutes.

Thrissur Rural SP B Krishna Kumar said: “The assailant spoke in Hindi. The cash counter had Rs 47 lakh in bundles. The burglar took away only three bundles of currency which amounted to Rs 15 lakh. He behaved at the branch as if he was familiar with the office.”