Karnataka Police have successfully busted a six-member gang of robbers involved in a major heist, recovering 17.7 kg of stolen gold, which was taken from the Nyamati branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) in Davangere on October 28, 2024.
The gold, which was part of a stolen locker containing gold ornaments, was recovered from a well in Usalampatti town, Madurai district, Tamil Nadu.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Vijaykumar (30), his brother Ajaykumar (28), and their brother-in-law Paramananda (30), all originally from Tamil Nadu. The other three members of the gang – Abhisheka (23), Chandru (23), and Manjunath (32) – are from Nyamati. The group had been involved in several high-profile robberies across South India.
During the investigation, police also uncovered links to another notorious gang of robbers from Kakrala in Budaun district, Uttar Pradesh. This gang has been implicated in several bank heists across the country, particularly in southern India. Vijaykumar and Ajaykumar’s gang displayed similar tactics, including targeting banks surrounded by large fields, using gas cutters, and avoiding the use of mobile phones during their heists.
The Karnataka Police operation spanned multiple states, including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh, to apprehend the gang members. The investigation led to the arrest of five members of the Kakrala gang earlier this month – Guddu Kalia, Aslam, Hazarath Ali, Kamruddin, and Babu Sahan.
The Kakrala gang has been involved in several major gold heists, including a 15 kg gold theft from Karnataka Grameen Bank in Hosahalli in November 2022 and a 4 kg gold heist from the Bevuru Branch of the same bank. This was the first time members of the Kakrala gang were arrested by Karnataka Police.
Interrogation of the arrested gang members has led to the detection of additional property offences across Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, with authorities vowing to continue their efforts to dismantle such criminal networks operating nationwide.
