Vijayapura: In a heist straight out of a movie, an armed gang dressed in military uniforms stormed the State Bank of India (SBI) branch at Chaddachan in Vijayapura district, tied up the manager and staff, and escaped with over 50 kg of gold ornaments and nearly ₹8 crore in cash.
The shocking robbery took place on Sunday evening around 6 pm when more than five masked men entered the bank armed with country-made pistols and sharp weapons. They threatened the manager, cashier, and employees, preventing them from pressing the alarm button, before tying them up and looting the valuables.
Police sources said the gang looted the lockers before fleeing towards Maharashtra. The robbers are suspected to be part of a Maharashtra-based dacoit gang, which reportedly escaped via Holajanti Road after the crime.
Soon after receiving the alert, Vijayapura SP Lakshman Nimbargi and a police team rushed to the spot. Forensic teams, sniffer dogs, and fingerprint experts were deployed to collect evidence. The bank’s CCTV DVRs were seized as part of the investigation.
Police have already recovered a vehicle bearing registration number KA 24 DH 2456, allegedly used by the gang, and have launched a massive manhunt. However, the exact quantity of gold and cash looted will only be confirmed after SBI’s senior officials arrive and complete verification, said bank authorities.
This incident comes just months after a similar robbery in Managoli town, Basavana Bagewadi taluk, where 48 kg of gold and ₹5 lakh cash were looted, raising concerns over a spurt in organised bank heists across Karnataka.
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