Police on Tuesday claimed that the murder of James Michael Dextas, the head cashier at the Patliputra branch of State Bank of India, was a result of personal enmity and not an attempted bank robbery.

Dextas was shot dead on the bank premises on June 14.

A number of opinions have circulated about the murder, with some police officers claiming a failed bank robbery attempt as the motive.

But Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Amrit Raj told The Telegraph: “The chance of a failed bank robbery being the motive for the murder is very remote. The man (Dextas) was killed because of some other reason. The case is being investigated from all angles.”

He added: “The police have rounded up some suspects in the case. But most of them are weak links. The police are hoping that the leads don’t die out.”

Sources in the police said investigations were pointing towards personal enmity as the reason for Dextas’s murder.

“There has been speculation earlier about a failed bank robbery. But that angle has almost been ruled out now. This seems to be a murder out of personal enmity. The police have not yet found any solid lead or evidence. At this moment, the exact reason for the murder cannot be ascertained. The investigations are on,” another police officer said.

The sources also said the speculation of another person waiting outside the bank for the murderer could not be confirmed.

“The police have conducted investigations and taken down statements. There are some leads. Some local criminals operating in the area have been rounded up. But things are not clear yet. There has been a suspicion that a biker was waiting for the attacker outside the bank. But this cannot be confirmed for now,” the officer said.

The fact that only one man had entered the bank and shot Dextas was puzzling for the police.

“The attacker took great risk even though he had come well prepared with at least three firearms and a fake bomb. Bank robberies usually involve a lot of people and the cash counter is the first place the robbers hit. This man had gone straight into the cabin of Dextas. There was some conversation between the duo for a few minutes. Then there was a heated altercation and Dextas was shot. The murderer was caught by the guard and even beaten up but he managed to flee. He had conducted a recce of the entire place and had planned an escape route. This shows that he was desperate,” the officer added.

The assailant — short and middle-aged — had casually entered the Patliputra branch of the State Bank of India around 12.30pm. Sporting a full shirt and jeans, he walked straight into the cabin of the head cashier and shot him after the altercation.

The deceased, a resident of the Kumhrar area, is survived by wife Roselyn, son Navin and daughter Nidhi. The family has refused to make any comment since the murder.