Masked men rob Karnataka SBI Bank; escape with ₹21cr loot
What's the story
A gang of three masked men carried out a daring robbery at the State Bank of India branch in Chadchan town, Vijayapura district, Karnataka, on Tuesday evening. According to authorities, the masked males entered the bank under the premise of opening a current account and threatened the manager, cashier, and other staff with firearms and knives. The group then bound the staff's hands and feet.
Heist details
Robbers loot cash and gold ornaments
After tying up the bank staff with plastic tags, the robbers forced them to open cash and gold lockers. They made away with over ₹1 crore in cash and around 20kg of gold ornaments from 398 out of 425 packets. The total value of the stolen items is estimated at ₹21.04 crore.
Escape route
Robbers met with accident while fleeing
The robbers fled the scene in a Suzuki EVA vehicle with a fake number plate. They headed toward Pandharpur in Maharashtra but met with an accident in Hulajanti village, Solapur district. Although the vehicle was recovered, the robbers managed to escape with the stolen cash and gold ornaments. Vijayapura Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbargi confirmed that no one was harmed in the robbery. He said a manhunt has been launched to nab the culprits across Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Previous incident
Similar robbery in same district months ago
This robbery comes just months after another major heist in the same district. Between May 23 and 25, robbers had stolen ₹53.26 crore from a Canara Bank branch in Managuli village. The earlier robbery was masterminded by former branch manager Vijaykumar Miriyal, who was arrested along with two associates in June.