VARANASI: After falling in the trap of a gang involved in cheating people in the name of doubling their money, a manager of Karkhiyao branch of Punjab National Bank Phoolchand Ram (45) was murdered on Wednesday evening.
The killers decamped with the manager’s bag containing Rs 46 lakh cash that he had withdrawn from his bank without seeking permission from his seniors and completing legal formalities.
IG Varanasi range SK Bhagat, who camped at the incident site to monitor the police investigation in this case on Thursday, said, “We are interrogating eight persons after getting vital clues regarding the assailants of the bank manager.
The killers had been called by the manager himself and were asked to board in his SUV after which the duo shot him and fled with the cash.
The case would be worked out soon.” Ram, a native of Kusia village under the limits of Jalalpur police station in Jaunpur district was posted at Karkhiyao branch of PNB in Pindra area of Varanasi.
During initial investigation of police and bank officials it came to light that on Wednesday afternoon Ram reached Madiyahu branch to withdraw cash.
In the evening he left for Varanasi in his SUV with the driver Sanjay.
Police said that some persons in another SUV were already waiting for him near Pindra village on Varanasi-Jaunpur border.
When Ram reached there, two persons from the other SUV boarded his vehicle and after confirming that he has brought the cash they shot him and fled with the money.
Ram died on the spot.
On being informed, the SP (rural district) Varanasi Amit Verma and other officials reached the spot while PNB officials also swung into action.
The murder led to chaos as the villagers blocked the road and staged a massive demonstration.
They called off their stir after the intervention of the senior officials and the body was sent for postmortem.
On Thursday afternoon, the body was cremated near his village amidt tight security arrangements.
Bhagat said, “Initial investigation till Thursday afternoon has cleared that the branch manager was misled by the gang involved in duping innocent people in the name of doubling their money.
The manager had misused his position in his bank to withdraw the amount without completing legal formalities.
Ram was in regular interaction with the gang members, who later killed him after getting money.”