Saturday, March 29, 2025
Three masked, armed men carried out a brazen daytime bank robbery at a State Bank of India branch in Chadachan town, Vijayapura (Bijapur) district, Karnataka, stealing around ₹21 crore in cash and gold jewellery, police said.
What happened
The robbers — wearing military-style uniforms and carrying pistols and bladed weapons — entered the branch at about 6:30 pm on Tuesday. They forced staff and customers into the toilets and bound employees’ hands and feet with plastic ties, threatening the manager and demanding cash. The culprits opened the cash vault and locker containing gold jewellery, filled bags with the loot and fled the scene.
Escape and vehicle details
Investigators say the gang used a van with fake licence plates to make their getaway. After leaving Karnataka they headed towards Maharashtra, reportedly toward Pandharpur. En route, the vehicle was involved in an altercation or minor incident in Solapur district with local residents, but the thieves managed to escape with the stolen goods in the van.
Immediate response
Vijayapura Police, led by Superintendent Lakshman Nimbragi, has registered a case based on the bank manager’s complaint and launched a joint search operation with Maharashtra police teams to track down the suspects. Officials said teams were combing highways and checking CCTV footage, toll plazas, and vehicle checkpoints. So far no arrests have been reported.
Victims and modus operandi
Police described the attackers as heavily armed and organised. They initially threatened staff with violence — one reported threat was, “Take out the cash or I will kill you.” Customers present in the branch were held as hostages during the robbery but there were no immediate reports of serious injuries.
Investigation angle
Authorities are focusing on forensics, CCTV verification, vehicle registration leads, and the possible involvement of local or cross-state networks that arrange fake number plates and provide logistical support. Police are also seeking public help to identify the van or any suspicious movement near the branch on the evening of the robbery.
Background & significance
A heist of this scale — involving both large cash amounts and high-value gold lockers — marks one of the more significant bank robberies in the region in recent years and raises questions about branch security, cash-transfer protocols and locker safeguards.
