Frustrated over debts, techie attempts armed robbery at bank manager's home, held
The incident occurred at a residential society on the evening of July 31. According to the police, the accused, Sangboi Kom Serto, had been living in NIBM area with his wife and two children. Investigators said he was heavily in debt and unable to meet the EMI payments for two flats he owned after losing his job last year.
Jitendra Koli, senior inspector, Sangvi Police Station said Serto had come to Pune over a decade ago and previously worked as a business analyst with a private firm. After being laid off, he tried to keep up with loan repayments using his savings but eventually ran out of funds.
'He had been visiting a nationalised bank's branch in Sangvi and observing the manager's movements. He eventually followed him home and surveyed the premises,' said Koli. 'He was planning to rob him of ₹8- ₹10 lakh.'
On the day of the incident, Serto arrived at the manager's residence around 6pm disguised as a courier personnel. He rang the doorbell and, upon being greeted by the manager's teenage son, claimed to be delivering official documents. Under the pretext of verifying identity, he asked for the manager's ID. The moment the boy turned away, Serto allegedly forced his way into the house, pointed a firearm at him, and demanded cash and valuables.
However, the bank manager's brother, overpowered the accused, who was later restrained until police arrived. The brother sustained minor injuries during the scuffle, police said.
A search led to the recovery of a licenced revolver, 19 live rounds, a kukri, and a suspicious object initially believed to be an explosive, which was later found to be a fake.
'The accused has been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act. This seems to be a case driven by financial desperation,' Koli said.
Police said the accused had pursued business management courses and previously held mid-level roles in the IT industry. Further investigation is underway to determine whether he had any accomplice or prior criminal history.
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