TV
Customers at the Manappuram Finance branch in Sambalpur are reeling after a daring heist resulted in the theft of 30 kilograms of gold. The robbery, which occurred on Friday morning, has caused widespread distress as customers scramble to retrieve their pledged jewellery.
Among the affected is Sujit Das, who has a wedding looming in the family. With his daughter’s marriage scheduled for February 7, Sujit had planned to redeem their pledged jewellery from the branch to avoid the steep gold prices currently. The robbery, however, has thwarted these plans, leaving the family in a state of anxiety.
“The branch authorities are not sure when to return the jewellery to me. My daughter’s marriage has been fixed. Now I am helpless on what to do as I am unable to buy more gold ornaments from the market due to the exorbitant price,” said Das.
“I had kept the jewellery here for security purposes. However, the branch had no security for a year. What will I do now as a marriage has been fixed in our family,” rued another customer.
The robbery unfolded at approximately 8:45 am on Friday when thieves struck before the branch staff arrived. They restrained employees and coerced them into handing over keys and passcodes, subsequently fleeing with jewellery worth an estimated Rs 20 crore, and Rs 3 lakh in cash.
Despite the passage of 36 hours, police investigations have yet to produce any solid leads. Police teams have been dispatched outside the State, with local officers from four stations intensifying their questioning of branch officials, including the branch manager and assistant manager.
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A notable clue in this high-profile case is the untouched packets of dummy gold with GPS trackers, suggesting the criminals either possessed insider information or were exceptionally professional.
Manappuram finance customers have raised concerns, citing the lack of security personnel over the past year.
“I suspect that the branch officials are involved in the heist,” said a customer.
However, the Chhattisgarh area manager Sirish Kumar assured that in case the gold is not recovered, regulations will mandate compensation in the form of an equivalent amount.
“Police are currently investigating the matter. If the gold is recovered, the customers will be provided their jewellery. If the gold cannot be recovered, according to the policy the customers will be provided gold or money as per the market value,” said Kumar.
