In a major breakthrough, Karnataka Police have arrested six individuals involved in a daring heist at the SBI Nyamati branch in Davanagere district, which took place in October 2024. The theft, which involved stealing gold ornaments worth over Rs 13 crore, was meticulously planned and executed by the gang over several months.
The arrested suspects were identified as Vijay Kumar (30), Ajay Kumar (28), Abheesheka (23), Chandru (23), Manjunath (32), and Paramananda (30). Vijay Kumar and Ajay Kumar are brothers, while Paramananda is their brother-in-law. All six were initially from Tamil Nadu, but had been running a sweets business in Nyamati for years.
Vijay Kumar, the mastermind behind the heist, was motivated by his financial troubles, exacerbated by a rejected loan application of Rs 15 lakh by SBI in August 2023. Drawing inspiration from popular TV series like Money Heist and movies about bank robberies, he meticulously planned the robbery. Over the course of 6-9 months, he gathered the necessary tools, including silent hydraulic cutters and gas cutting equipment, and even went so far as to grind off serial numbers on an oxygen cylinder he purchased for gas cutting.
Vijay Kumar was assisted by his brother, Ajay Kumar, and his brother-in-law, Paramananda, as well as their friends Abheesheka, Chandru, and Manjunath. Together, they spent several nights observing the bank’s surroundings, measuring how long it would take to access the bank through the fields behind it.
The Theft
On the night of October 28, 2024, the gang executed the heist with precision. They gained entry through a window on the left side of the main banking hall, after removing the iron grilles. The robbers used a gas cutter to break open a locker in the bank’s strongroom, stealing 17.7 kg of gold ornaments, which included pledged gold. They also took the DVR containing the CCTV footage and spread chilli powder around the premises to thwart the efforts of a dog squad, preventing them from tracking the scent.
Despite the meticulous planning, the robbery left no physical evidence behind, such as fingerprints or CCTV footage, which initially posed a major challenge for the police. However, the investigation, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police Sam Varghese and under the supervision of Superintendent of Police Uma Prashanth, employed innovative investigative techniques to trace the perpetrators. They conducted extensive area domination exercises, combed through technical data, including CCTV footage within a 50-km radius, and analyzed cell tower dumps and toll data.
The breakthrough came after months of investigation, when certain technical evidence pointed to suspects from Tamil Nadu who had associates in Nyamati. With this lead, the police arrested the six accused individuals and launched operations to recover the stolen gold.
The stolen gold was traced to Usalampatti, a town in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, where it was hidden in a well. With the help of divers, the police recovered 15 kg of gold from a 30-foot-deep irrigation well in a farm. The total value of the stolen property recovered amounted to around Rs 13 crore.
The accused have been arrested and are currently in police custody. The investigation is ongoing as authorities continue to uncover details related to the heist and the stolen items.
