While the residents are in a state of panic after the third big robbery in the last one month, when the media asked Superintendent of Police Sandeep Khirwar to comment, he said: “Meri to kismat hi kharab hai (this is my ill fate).”

Two youngsters, reportedly in their mid-20s, reached the State Bank of Patiala’s Sector 15 branch around 3 pm and parked their bike in the lane behind the bank. Both were carrying pistols, according to Hardayal Singh, the guard deployed at the bank’s entrance. One of the robbers pointed a pistol at an unarmed Hardayal, asking him to hand over the bag he was holding. The bag contained Rs 10 lakh in cash, which was meant for the bank’s ATM. A panicked Hardayal gave the bag to the two who were out of everybody’s reach within minutes. While bank employees immediately pressed the alarm buttons, police reached after around 15 minutes.

In his statement to the police, Hardayal said though he chased the two, they sat on their bike and escaped. “The bike did not have a registration number,” he added.

Preliminary investigations by the police indicate that the accused might have done a recce of the area before the strike.

Only four employees — Vinod Kataria (cashier), Devi Dayal Kondal (assistant manager), Hardayal and a peon — were present in the bank at the time of the incident. Branch manager Vandana Singal had gone home for lunch. “I was on my way back when I heard about the robbery,” she said.