Karnataka Police Recover ₹41 Lakh Cash, 6.8 Kg Gold From SBI Bank Heist In Vijayapura

Bengaluru, Sep 20: Karnataka police have recovered part of the loot from a five-member gang that looted an SBI bank at Chadachana in Vijayapura district on September 16. The recovery was made from an abandoned house at Hulajanthi village in Mangala Kheda taluk, Maharashtra.

So far, the police have seized over ₹41 lakh in cash kept in a bag and around 6.8 kg of gold packed in nearly 136 plastic covers.

Vijayapura Superintendent of Police Lakshman Nimbaragi said the robbers, who had arrived on two-wheelers from the village, abandoned the stolen property in their car after realizing that there was no motorable road ahead. Some villagers had initially taken the loot, but after being warned of dire consequences by police, they dumped it on the terrace of an abandoned house outside the village.

The police have obtained specific clues about the gang and are continuing their pursuit of the five members who carried out the heist in a filmy style.

On September 16, the gang struck while bank staff were preparing to close for the day. Three members, brandishing country-made pistols, entered the bank while two stood guard outside. The staff were threatened and confined to a room as the robbers looted over ₹1 crore in cash and more than 20 kg of gold.

The gang had entered Karnataka from Maharashtra via the Pandharpur–Chadachana road and escaped along the same route. During their getaway, their speeding car hit a motorcycle, prompting some youths to chase them. When the gang reached Hulajanthi village in Maharashtra, they found the road ahead closed. They threatened villagers with pistols, took away the cash and jewellery they could carry, and abandoned their car along with the remaining loot.