Team Herald 

MAPUSA: Two of the accused in Verla-Canca bank robbery case have been remanded in police custody for seven days, while a third one for six days by a Judicial Magistrate First Class at Mapusa.

According to police, seven culprits executed the robbery. However, only three of them are in police custody currently. They are Vijay Kumar Das who was thrashed up by the public, Hari Das and the mastermind Raju Das. The latter two were given seven-day custody. On December 8, four persons robbed, at gun point, the Verla-Canca branch of Indian Overseas Bank, while three others provided logistical support for committing the crime.

While the robbers were busy packing the cash in a bag and collecting gold ornaments from the bank staff and customers, a peon slipped out of the bank and alerted the public, who confronted and apprehended some of the culprits. 

Meanwhile, police took the mastermind Raju Das to Dodamarg where he showed the premise where the culprits resided in for two days. Police have sealed the Dodamarg premise.

Police further informed that they have managed to trace the location of the other four absconding accused and that police teams have been dispatched to nab them.

Further, police have recorded statement of house owner Ganpat Gawde from Pintowada Canca where the accused Raju Das was residing since last 10 years with his wife and two children. Gawde had reportedly not filed C form of Raju Das.

On interrogation, Raju Das revealed to the police that the gang was hired by him to execute the robbery. The gang had landed at Tivim railway station on December 4, from where they directly went to Dodamarg and planned the robbery. A day prior to executing their plan, some of the accused conducted reconnaissance by visiting the bank between 2.30 pm and 3 pm.