India: How Kerala Police swiftly nabbed bank robber whose wife works in Kuwait as nurse

Thrissur: After facing criticism from several quarters, the Kerala Police won praise on Monday for their swift action in arresting Rijo Antony, a local resident of Chalakudy, in connection with the daring daylight heist at the Federal Bank branch in Pota, near Chalakudy, Thrissur.

Antony, who lived near the bank, managed to escape with ₹15 lakh (Rs1.5 million) on his second attempt last Friday. Armed with a knife, he stormed into the bank and, within three minutes, grabbed cash from the counter’s cash box after threatening the staff before fleeing.

The only initial clue was CCTV footage showing the suspect arriving on a two-wheeler, wearing a helmet and a jacket, and carrying a shoulder bag. He parked in front of the bank, entered, brandished a knife at two staff members, and forced them into a cabin. He then smashed the glass panes of the cash counter with a chair before making off with the cash.

For the next 56 hours, the police launched an intensive investigation. Late on Sunday, a large contingent of armed officers tracked Antony down to his residence, where they were surprised to find a lavish mansion. Upon being taken into custody, he soon confessed to the crime.

Lavish lifestyle and mounting debts

Investigations revealed that Antony had returned from abroad a few years ago with his two young children, while his wife continued to work as a nurse in Kuwait. Since his return, he remained unemployed but maintained an extravagant lifestyle with his friends.

He admitted to the police that he had accumulated debts of ₹5 million and had grown anxious as his wife was set to return permanently. Adding to his distress, he had squandered all the money she had entrusted to him.

Police discovered that Antony had originally planned the heist on February 11 but postponed it after spotting a police jeep near the bank. CCTV footage from the same day later showed him participating in a church festival near his house. On the day of the robbery, he removed the registration plate from another two-wheeler and later affixed it to his own scooter before carrying out the crime.

How police caught him

The breakthrough in the case came when investigators traced the scooter used in the heist, which had advanced logistic controls, leading them straight to Antony.

He confessed that he had used part of the stolen money to pay off a friend’s debt of ₹2.90 lakh, while the remaining amount was recovered from his house on Monday. Later that night, after news of Antony’s arrest spread, the friend who had received the ₹2.90 lakh voluntarily appeared at the police station, claiming he was unaware that the money had been stolen.

Antony’s friends and relatives were left in shock following his arrest. He will soon be produced before a local court and is expected to be remanded.

Unanswered questions

Meanwhile, the police continue to probe whether he had any accomplices. However, one puzzling aspect of the case remains—bank staff confirmed that ₹45 lakh in nine bundles was on the counter at the time of the robbery, yet Antony took only three bundles, leaving the rest behind.