Surat: In a daring daylight heist, four to five armed robbers looted around ₹50 lakh from a State Bank of India (SBI) branch in the Varachha area of the city on Monday.

According to details received, the incident took place in the afternoon when there was minimal customer presence in the bank. Taking advantage of the situation, four unidentified persons entered the branch. The robbers threatened the employees at gunpoint and, within minutes, looted around ₹50 lakh in cash before fleeing the scene. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident.

As soon as the incident was reported, a convoy of senior Surat Police officials rushed to the spot. The entire city and exit routes have been cordoned off. Police have formed seven separate teams to nab the robbers. The teams include personnel from the Crime Branch and local police stations such as Varachha, Kapodra, Sarthana, and Puna, to investigate the case and trace the suspects.

CCTV footage from the bank and nearby areas has been seized, with visuals reportedly capturing the movements of the robbers. Efforts are underway to identify the accused based on the footage. Police officials said a manhunt is underway and expressed confidence that the accused will be arrested soon. DeshGujarat