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The police in Karnataka’s Vijayapura district said Thursday they have arrested four men in connection with the heist case in which Rs 21 crore worth of gold ornaments and cash were allegedly robbed from a branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) last month.
On September 16, around 6.30 pm, three masked men armed with country-made pistols and knives stormed the state-run bank in Chadchan town. They tied up staff members before escaping with cash worth over Rs 1 crore and approximately 20 kg of gold ornaments valued at around Rs 20 crore, according to the First Information Report (FIR) filed by the bank manager, Tarakeshwar.
Three suspects — Rakesh Kumar Sahani, 22; Rajkumar Ramlal Paswan, 21; and Rakshak Kumar, 21 — were arrested in Samastipur district, Bihar. A fourth suspect, nabbed from Maharashtra on October 7, allegedly played a crucial role in planning the heist. The police said they will not disclose his identity, citing investigative reasons.
“This suspect conducted multiple reconnaissance visits to the bank, and stole a car in Mangalwedha town, Solapur district, specifically for use in the crime. From his possession, the police seized 55 grams of gold bangles and a motorcycle used in the robbery,” said Laxman Nimbargi, Superintendent of Police, Vijayapura.
The police said they have also identified two additional suspects involved in the SBI robbery, and are actively pursuing them.
The Vijayapura police formed seven special teams to track down the suspects in the Karnataka SBI heist.
Following technical analysis and intelligence indicating that firearms were procured from Bihar, the police team travelled to the state.
“We arrested those who supplied the illegal weapons and assisted in the crime,” Nimbargi said.
The investigation took a significant turn when the Maruti Eeco getaway vehicle met with an accident at Hulajanti village in Solapur district, Maharashtra, on September 21. When villagers gathered at the accident spot, the driver brandished a pistol to threaten them before fleeing and abandoning the vehicle.
The Vijayapura police rushed to the accident site, seizing 21 packets containing 888.33 grams of gold jewellery and Rs 1,03,160 in cash from the abandoned vehicle.
During a two-day cordon and search operation around Hulajanti village, investigators discovered that the robbers had thrown a bag onto the terrace of an abandoned house. The bag contained 6.54 kg of gold ornaments and Rs 41,03,000 in cash, according to the police.
Additionally, the police recovered 1.587 kg of gold and Rs 44,25,060 in cash from 15 Hulajanti residents who had taken items from the abandoned vehicle.
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