August 06, 2008	Wednesday	Sha’aban 3, 1429

HYDERABAD, Aug 5: An armed gang pulled off a “daring” bank heist and looted more than Rs15 million on Tuesday evening.

The hold-up was described as the biggest in Hyderabad’s history.

The manner in which the robbery was committed not only terrified residents of the city, but also dealt a “shocking blow” to the police hierarchy.

Witnesses and police sources said an unspecified number of people reached the bank in question with cricket bags, containing sophisticated weapons.

At the time some guards were shifting money from a van to the MCB’s Gaadi Khaata branch.

“The robbers whipped out guns from their bags before the security personnel could even move. They asked the cashiers and the guards to hand over as much money as possible,” policeman said.

The gang had parked a car and a motorcycle in a nearby street. Three guards and the van’s driver were inside the vehicle. An amount of Rs41.9 million was being shifted to the branch.

The gangsters then resorted to heavy firing in the air, causing a stampede on the Qadam Gah-i-Maula Ali road, where the branch is located.