Visakhapatnam: A former bank employee allegedly attempted to rob a Bank of Baroda branch near ITI Junction in Marripalem, Visakhapatnam. He attacked two bank employees with a hammer in an attempt to steal pledged gold ornaments and recover losses from online betting. As per reports, he took such an extreme step as he was in heavy debt.
The gold ornaments were pledged by the bank customers against the gold loan. The accused has been identified as Y. Ravikumar and had previously worked at the Bank of Baroda branch in Yelamanchili. He allegedly targeted branch manager Sivaramaraju and cashier Ramesh.
According to the Kancharapalem Police, Ravikumar entered the branch at around 8 pm on Wednesday. He spent nearly 20 minutes talking with the staff and observed that only two employees were present in the branch.
When the manager and cashier were placing pledged gold ornaments in a locker, Ravikumar allegedly took out a hammer from his bag and attacked them. He then attempted to steal the gold ornaments.
However, the branch manager raised an alarm, and the suspect fled from the spot. The branch manager quickly filed a complaint with the police.
During the preliminary investigation, police found that Ravikumar is a native of Ramabhadrapuram in Vizianagaram district. He had reportedly lost more than ₹60 lakh in online betting and gaming activities. Investigators believe he planned the robbery to repay his debts.
The injured bank employees were shifted to a hospital in Visakhapatnam for treatment. Police said their condition is stable.
