Surat Sbi Branch Heist Accused Granted Bail
Indian Express
The Surat district court on Friday granted bail to Vikas Singh Rajput, one of the accused arrested in connection with a Rs 50 lakh heist from a State Bank of India branch in Varachha in April.
The crime took place on April 27, when a gang of five-six robbers entered the SBI branch and fled with around Rs 50 lakh in cash after holding six bank employees and other customers present then at gunpoint. The in-charge branch manager Prakash Bhoge of SBI, registered a police complaint the same day. The police subsequently booked six persons aged between 20 and 26 years in connection with the case.
On May 4, the police arrested two accused – Shubham Thakur (24) and Vikas Singh Rajput (30) from Ayodhya and Gonda districts in Uttar Pradesh.
During the remand period of both the accused, police learnt that the “mastermind” behind the robbery is Kundan Bhagat, a wanted criminal who was lodged at Beur jail in Patna, Bihar in connection with another case. Police said Vikas Singh Rajput was involved in providing logistical support to Shubham Thakur and also arranged a hideout for him. Kundan Bhagat was also arrested by the Surat police from Beur jail in Patna
Rajput, presently in judicial custody at Surat Central Jail, filed a bail application in the Surat District Court through his lawyer P T Rana. Assistant Public Prosecutor Santosh Gohil told the court Surat District Additional Session Court of Judge A N Dave that Rajput was “involved in harbouring the main accused involved in the crime.”
The defence lawyer, P T Rana, mentioned in court that Vikas Rajput runs Chandra Traders, a garment shop in Rae Bareli, UP. Subhash Thakur also runs a shop near to that and the two are friends. Vikas Rajput had not visited Surat for recce nor he was not present on the spot when the crime was committed, the lawyer told the court.
The court observed, “In the present case, the possibility of false implication of the applicant-accused (Vikas) cannot be ruled out. So, prima facie, there is no material implicating the applicant accused in the commission of alleged offences other than harbouring the main accused…”
The court said in its order, “The applicant-accused is hereby ordered to be released on bail on execution of personal bond of Rs 10,000.”
The court also specified several conditions while granting bail.
Defence lawyer P T Rana said, “We are satisfied with the court granting bail to Vikas Singh Rajput. My client was unaware of Subhash Thakur’s alleged involvement in the robbery.”
APP Gohil said, “We will review the bail order and decide our future course of action.”