The robbery of approximately 17 kg of gold, valued at Rs 13 crore, from the State Bank of India’s Nyamati branch in Davanagere district on October 26, 2024, has been solved after six months. On Wednesday, police arrested the primary suspect, Ajaykumar (28), along with four accomplices from Nyamati. This was reportedly the first criminal act for all those involved.
The primary motive behind the heist was loan rejection. The arrested individuals include Vijaykumar, a native of Tamil Nadu, and Chandru, Manjunath, and Abhishekh, all residents of Surahonni village in Nyamati taluk.
Ajaykumar had sought a loan from the SBI Nyamati branch to start a bakery business. Despite allegedly paying a bribe of Rs 60,000 to bank officials, his loan application was rejected, leaving him frustrated. Distressed by the rejection, Ajaykumar, along with Paramanand, Abhishekh, Chandru, and Manjunath, hatched a plan to rob the bank.
The group researched crime stories and watched bank robbery videos on YouTube to strategize their attack. They executed their plan on October 26, 2024, intentionally choosing the date due to the holidays on October 26 and 27.
The police investigation led to the arrest of the suspects, and further inquiries are ongoing to recover the stolen gold and any remaining details of the heist.
