Malda, June 8: Robbers looted Rs 10,65,188 from a branch of the Punjab National Bank here today.

When the dacoits, a gang of five, left after 25 minutes, there was nothing left in the vault except for a five-rupee coin.

According to deputy inspector-general of police (Malda range) Nanda Kumar Biswas, the robbery was the fallout of the “indifferent attitude” of the bank authorities.

The dacoity took place a little after 9.45 am, when assistant branch manager Somnath Mitra opened the bank. Four employees and two customers also accompanied him inside. All of a sudden, five youths, armed with pipe-guns and choppers, stepped in. While one of them stayed on guard at the gate, the others — brandishing guns and choppers — forced the employees to remain silent. They asked for the key to the vault from the assistant manager and cashier Sobodh Muddi, who was taken to the vault at knife point.

Before they left the bank, the dacoits locked all the employees and customers in a room. They also pulled down the shutters of the main gate and locked it.

Ranabir Yadav, who was locked in the canteen of the bank where he works, escaped through the ventilator and freed the other employees. The alarm was then activated and the police informed.

Officer-in-charge of Englishbazar police station Tarak Pal arrived at the bank with a large contingent around 10.25 am and freed the employees after breaking open the locks of the shutter.

Yadav has been detained for questioning.

The dacoits had snapped the telephone lines of the bank before leaving. The siren of the bank also did not work. “The siren works only if it is activated. It is my duty to activate it,” said Muddi.

The branch has 12 employees, including manager Umacharan Pattanaik, but does not have a guard. Pattanaik, who was on leave, arrived after news of the dacoity reached him. Officials from the bank’s zonal office in Calcutta are expected here tomorrow.

“Too many questions are unanswered. The bank is supposed to open at 10 am. Why did it open at 9.45 instead? Besides, why did the employees allow the customers to enter before activating the siren,” asked Biswas.

There were also many anomalies in the different versions narrated by the employees, he added.

No arrests were made till late in the evening. District superintendent of police Sashi Kant Poojari, however, claimed that “several suspicious characters” have been picked up from Manikchak and Kaliachak areas “for questioning”.

The district police chief is hopeful that those arrested will provide a “lead”. An alert has been sounded throughout the district, he said.