Jewellery worth Rs 6 crore and Rs 17 lakh cash were stolen from a private finance firm by an armed gang at the heart of Batlagundu town in the district today, police said.
They said the masked gang entered the bank along with security staff soon after it opened this morning, assaulted the four male staff and forced the woman manager to open the locker room.
They then stuffed the jewels and cash in two bags, locked the staff in two rooms behind the bank, came out and mingled with a huge procession organised in connection with Bakrid, police said.
Police said a sniffer dog which was pressed into service traced their scent for some distance upto Kodaikanal road. Several teams have been formed to trace the gang, they said.
Officials said they suspect the robbery to be the handiwork of Naxals.
Meanwhile, those who had pledged their jewellery in the firm blocked vehicular traffic, demanding their jewels back.
