Bhopal, April 17 -- Five armed men looted gold, silver, and cash worth Rs.35 lakh from a bank in Madhya Pradesh's Singrauli on Friday afternoon after holding staff hostage for nearly 20 minutes, police said.

Singrauli superintendent of police (SP) Manish Khatri said the incident occurred around 1 pm at Bank of Maharashtra. "Eyewitnesses reported that two armed men entered the premises and took the employees hostage at gunpoint. Shortly after, three more joined them, taking full control of the bank," he said.

"The robbers allegedly pointed guns at customers and staff, creating panic inside the branch. They demanded keys to the cash chests and details of reserves from the manager. When he hesitated, they assaulted him, striking his head w...