SRINAGAR: A major bank robbery shook Karnataka’s Vijayapura district on late Tuesday evening when a gang of masked men stormed the State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Chadchan town and fled with cash and gold estimated at around Rs 21 crore, police said, as reported by NDTV.
According to officials, the heist took place at around 7:30 p.m., just as the branch was closing for the day. Dressed in military-style uniforms and armed with guns and sharp weapons, the gang quickly overpowered bank staff, tied up the manager, cashier and employees, and locked them in a room before breaking into the lockers. Reports suggest that the robbers made off with approximately 58 kilograms of gold in addition to large sums of cash.
Witnesses said more than five assailants were involved, though some accounts indicated as many as nine. Their dramatic entry and execution of the robbery drew comparisons to the Spanish crime series Money Heist.
Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbargi and senior officers rushed to the spot soon after the incident, while the area was cordoned off and forensic teams deployed. Police suspect the gang came from Maharashtra and escaped towards the border after the robbery, as reported by Hindustan Times.
Investigators later recovered a getaway vehicle abandoned in Solapur, Maharashtra, along with a portion of the stolen gold. Reports indicate the robbers fled on foot after the vehicle collided with a herd of goats. A joint operation involving Karnataka and Maharashtra police has been launched to trace the suspects.
The daring robbery has sparked widespread concern among residents and traders, with calls for stronger security measures in banks across semi-urban and rural areas of the state.
