In a major breakthrough, Jabalpur Police have arrested four men in connection with the daring Rs15.5 crore bank heist at ESAF Small Finance Bank in Khitola on August 11.
The accused have been identified as:
Rais Lodhi
Sonu Varman
Hemraj
Vikas Chakraborty
According to officials, the gang meticulously planned the robbery by renting a house near the bank. On the morning of the crime, the suspects stormed the bank office around 9 AM, armed and masked. They locked employees inside a bathroom, forced open the locker, and escaped within 15 minutes, looting approximately 14.875 kg of gold (valued at Rs15.5 crore) and Rs5.08 lakh in cash.
The police used CCTV footage to trace the gang’s movements, eventually arresting four of them and recovering:
Rs1.83 lakh in cash
An illegal firearm
Live cartridges
Two motorcycles
Despite the arrests, the main accused and kingpin remains absconding, believed to be in possession of the remaining stolen gold. Raids are ongoing to track his whereabouts and recover the remaining loot.
Police officials stated the crime showed signs of professional execution and coordination, and further investigation is underway to determine whether the gang is linked to other high-profile robberies in the region.
