Thrissur: Two days after Rs 15 lakh was stolen from the Federal bank branch at Potta in Chalakudy, the police on Sunday held Rijo Antony, a resident of Assaripara near Potta, on charges of robbery. He was taken into custody from his residence. The scooter used for the theft was parked in front of the house. He had been employed in the Middle East for a few years.

His wife is employed as a nurse in Kuwait. The police said that Rijo led an affluent life and squandered away the money his wife sent. He piled up debts of Rs 47 lakh, and when his wife told him that she was returning to Kerala, he planned a bank robbery to clear his debt, according to the police.

Thrissur Rural SP B Krishnakumar, who led the probe, told media that Rijo was familiar with the area as he was a regular visitor to a church near the bank and also held an account at the Chalakkudy Federal Bank branch. “He knew that no one would be in the bank between 2 pm and 2.30 pm as it was lunch break. This made it easier for him to execute the robbery,” he said.

 Rijo carefully planned his escape route, opting for narrow roads after the theft. He rode along inner roads for some time before he entered the highway. He changed his clothes thrice and later reattached the rear-view mirror of his scooter, which he had removed before the crime, to avoid suspicion. “He used his own scooter but affixed a fake number plate. We identified the fake registration on the first day itself. CCTV footage helped us trace him, as we noticed the colour of his shoes,” the SP added.

Rijo had visited the Potta bank branch four days before the theft, with the pretext of talking to the bank staff about an expired ATM card. He surveyed the bank's security system during this visit and planned the timing of his theft. The police said he hosted a family gathering at his home on Sunday and followed all updates about the theft on his mobile phone. The cops spotted the red-coloured sole of the shoes he wore during the robbery, and this helped the cops affirm his identity.

The plan was to clear all his debts before his wife returned home. He was an alcoholic and even bought a bottle of liquor with the stolen cash, police said. The cops are verifying his statements as they have found some contradictions. He reportedly told the cops that he took Rs 2.9 lakh from the amount he stole from the bank and gave it to one person to whom he owed money.

Mass is held at Potta Church on the first and last Fridays of every month, drawing many devotees. He planned the theft on the second Friday when no such gathering was expected. As a major pilgrimage centre, the church frequently hosts weddings, baptisms, and other ceremonies. However, on that particular Friday, no special events were scheduled. The knife he claimed to have purchased from Gulf has yet to be recovered, police said.

The robbery occurred in broad daylight on February 14 at the Federal Bank branch in Potta. Bank employees were held at knifepoint. The robber threatened the manager and staff, locked them inside the toilet, smashed the cash counter with a chair and looted the money.