Vijayawada: A shocking incident surfaced from Karnataka's Vijayapura district, where armed robbers looted a State Bank of India (SBI) branch on Tuesday, September 16. The masked robbers dressed in military uniform stormed SBI's Chadchan branch in the district. They were carrying country-made pistols and other weapons.
As per the estimate of the bank authorities, cash and gold ornaments worth over Rs 21 crore have been looted by the masked men, reported PTI. However, the police are yet to confirm the exact amount robbed by the robbers. The incident took place at around 6:30 pm on Tuesday.
Visuals From The Spot:
The criminals tied up the staff of the bank before executing the robbery. A huge crowd gathered outside the bank. After receiving the information, the police also reached the SBI branch and launched a detailed investigation into the matter.
As per the police, around three masked men entered the ban on the pretext of opening a current account. They then threatened the manager, cashier and other employees with pistols and knives and tied them up.
According to the FIR filed in the case, the robbers managed to escape with cash worth more than a crore and gold ornaments weighing approximately 20 kg, worth approximately Rs 20 crores.
A case has been registered against the unknown masked men. The police have launched a manhunt operation to nab the robbers.
Citing preliminary investigation, Vijaypura Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbargi told PTI that the suspects used a Suzuki EVA vehicle with a fake number plate.
After committing the offence, they reportedly moved towards Pandharpur in Maharashtra.
It is the second such incident of robbery in Karnataka in four months. In May this year, around Rs five lakh in cash and over 58 kg of gold jewellery were looted from a locker at Canara Bank in Managuli village in Vijayapura district. During investigation, 15 people were arrested in the connection with the matter.
