Chennai: An attempt to rob the State Bank of Mysore (SBM) was made on Whites Road branch in Chennai last night. This comes just a day after five persons, including two staff members of the same bank’s Sastri Nagar branch, were arrested for allegedly being part of a money laundering racket.

The robbery attempt came to light this morning.

On information bank and police officials rushed to the spot. They scrutinised the CCTV footage. An unidentified man was seen gaining his way into the bank through the ventilation of the air conditioner. It is learnt that the provision was not well-sealed, thus helping the man gain easy access.

“He had also made the burglar alarm defunct, but could not succeed in breaking the safe. Soon he fled the place fearing arrest,” sources said.

The bank had stocked Rs. 2 crores (old currencies) and Rs. 7 lakhs (new notes).

According to officials the money and other valuables are safe. The Anna Salai police have registered a case and are investigating.

Car seized

Meanwhile, the car used by the miscreants in the Rs. 25 lakh theft case, involving SBM staff, has been seized. The police traced the owner of the vehicle to one Prashanth. But it was later revealed that had no involvement in the incident.

A special team has been sent to Tiruchi to nab Rajesh alias Dinesh Kumar, the alleged mastermind of the robbery. The Sastri Nagar police too are investigating seven persons, including a woman, who are suspected to be involved.
On Friday night, a city police patrol team found lights on at the Sastri Nagar branch of State Bank of Mysore after 11 p.m. This raised their suspicion.

During questioning, J. Elangovan, the bank cashier, claimed that Rs. 25 lakh in demonetised Rs. 1000 notes were robbed at knife-point just hours earlier. He claimed he was travelling in a car when a four-member gang waylaid him near Zamin Pallavaram and took away the cash.

The money, he claimed, was being taken to a private bank at Nanganallur to be exchanged for new currencies. It was found that Elangovan, along with the bank’s manager and two employees of a private bank, was allegedly involved in laundering demonetised notes of some ‘customers’.