A major robbery took place at a State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Chadchan town, Vijayapura district, Karnataka, where armed men looted cash and gold worth nearly ₹21 crore.
According to PTI, three masked men entered the branch on Tuesday pretending to open a current account. Armed with knives and country-made pistols, they threatened the manager, cashier, and staff, tied their hands and feet, and forced them to open the cash and gold vaults. The gang then confined the employees inside a toilet before escaping with about ₹1 crore in cash and 20 kg of gold valued at ₹20 crore. NDTV reported that the branch manager was threatened with death if he refused to comply.
Police have launched a massive manhunt, and a case has been registered based on the manager’s complaint. Vijayapura Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbargi told PTI that all efforts are being made to track down the culprits. The suspects are believed to have fled towards Pandharpur in Maharashtra in a Suzuki EVA car with a fake number plate.
This heist comes months after another robbery at Canara Bank’s Managuli branch in Vijayapura, where cash and gold worth over ₹53.26 crore were stolen. In that case, police recovered assets worth over ₹39.26 crore and arrested 15 people.
Image credits: The Indian Express
