In an unusual and daring attempt to rob a bank in Bhiwani, Haryana, a youth was arrested after digging a tunnel under the Punjab and Sind Bank located on Hansi Road. The attempt was foiled when a bank employee noticed the suspicious activity. The incident, which occurred on Saturday morning, took place right in front of Rajya Sabha MP Kiran Chaudhary’s bungalow. The accused, Satyawan, a 34-year-old resident of Hisar, had been digging the tunnel from an empty plot next to the bank.
The Discovery of the Tunnel
The bank had been closed on Saturday, and no employees had arrived yet. However, around 10:30 AM, the peon of the bank, Joginder, reached the bank to open it for the day. As he entered the bank, he heard a drilling sound coming from one of the walls. Joginder immediately sensed something unusual and, suspecting that something was wrong, informed the authorities by dialing 112.
The police responded swiftly to the call and reached the bank in no time. The Civil Thana police station in-charge, Vishesh Kumar, along with his team, reached the scene and arrested the youth while he was still attempting to carry out his crime. The police recovered a drill machine and other tools from the accused’s possession.
The Accused’s Method
Satyawan had been digging the tunnel from an empty plot adjacent to the bank, which had dense bushes covering it, making it easier for him to work without being noticed. He had made significant progress in his tunnel, digging about three and a half feet into the ground. The tunnel was intended to reach the strong room of the bank, where cash and valuables are kept.
What made the situation even more alarming was that Satyawan had connected the drill machine to an electricity pole outside the bank. He bypassed normal connections and created a direct link to the power source by making a latch connection, allowing him to operate the drill machine without the bank’s knowledge.
Satyawan’s Plans and Motive
In the course of the investigation, the police learned that Satyawan had carefully planned the robbery. According to the police, he had conducted a reconnaissance of the bank on November 7, under the pretext of opening a bank account. During his visit, he studied the layout of the bank, particularly the location of the strong room and the bank’s internal security systems.
Satyawan had chosen to dig the tunnel during the day rather than at night, hoping that the noise from the drill machine would be masked by the usual traffic and noise around the bank. This would allow him to avoid suspicion while making progress with his plan.
He had been working on the tunnel for several days. By the time the police arrived, he had dug a tunnel three and a half feet deep, but he was only a few inches away from the bank’s internal wall. His plan was to break through the wall, access the bank’s vault, and steal valuables from the safe. However, his activities were exposed when the vibrations from the drill machine created unusual movements inside the bank. This triggered Joginder, the peon, to investigate, ultimately leading to the discovery of the tunnel and Satyawan’s arrest.
Satyawan’s Background and Motivation
Satyawan’s arrest revealed his personal circumstances, which led him to attempt the robbery. The police learned that Satyawan had been unemployed for a year and was struggling to repay a 5-6 lakh rupees debt that he had incurred during his education. He had completed a polytechnic degree and a mass communication degree but had not been able to secure a stable job in his field. Desperate to pay off his debts, Satyawan resorted to crime as a quick way out.
Before attempting the robbery in Bhiwani, Satyawan had surveyed several other banks in the cities of Bahadurgarh and Rohtak. However, he did not find a suitable opportunity to execute his plan in those locations. Eventually, he came across the empty plot next to Punjab and Sind Bank in Bhiwani, which provided a hidden location to dig his tunnel without attracting attention. He also took advantage of the dense bushes on the plot to conceal his actions.
The Robbery Scheme
To carry out his plan, Satyawan had to cut through the wall of the bank and create an opening to enter the strong room. He used a drill machine and a hammer to break the wall and make his way inside. He carefully covered his tracks by using the dense bushes to hide his activities and opted to work during the day to mask the sound of his tools. However, his plan was disrupted by the vibrations caused by the drilling, which alerted the bank employee.
Similar Robbery in 2014
This incident reminds us of a similar robbery that occurred in Sonipat in 2014, where criminals dug a 125-meter long tunnel to rob a PNB Bank. These criminals managed to loot more than 80 lockers containing jewelry worth crores of rupees. The tunnel took them over a month to build, but the police arrested the main accused within 72 hours. The similarity in the method of operation between the two incidents raises concerns about the security measures in place at some banks.
Conclusion and Arrest
Despite his careful planning and preparation, Satyawan’s attempt to rob the bank was foiled. He was arrested before he could break through the wall and access the bank’s vault. The police have registered a case against Satyawan on the complaint of Ashwani Kumar Jangra, the assistant officer of the bank.
Satyawan’s actions show how unemployment and financial struggles can drive some individuals to resort to extreme measures, even criminal activity. In this case, his attempt to take a shortcut to financial stability ended in failure, with the police catching him before he could carry out his plan.
The authorities have assured the public that they are continuing to investigate the incident, and they are looking into any possible connections to other criminal activities. Satyawan’s arrest highlights the need for banks to have more stringent security measures to prevent such attempts in the future.
