Karnataka SBI bank robbery: Police recover 6.54 kg gold, ₹41.04 lakh cash from abandoned get-away car

Vijayapura police have recovered a significant portion of the valuables that were recently stolen from a SBI bank branch in Chadchan.

Officers found a bag with 6.54 kg of gold and ₹41.04 lakh in cash, said SP Laxman Nimbargi. It was traced in an abandoned building in Hulajanti village near Mangalwede in Maharashtra. Bank officers had complained that a team of three unidentified miscreants had robbed the branch of around 20 kg gold and ₹1.4 crore cash.

Mr. Nimbargi reasoned that the robbers abandoned part of the plot after a quarrel with residents of Hulajanti. The get-away car hit a bike, leading to an altercation. The accused abandoned the car, and ran away after threatening the villagers with guns and knives.

Eight teams on the job

The SP said that the investigation into the offence was on the right track and that the accused would be secured soon. Eight teams had been formed to crack the case. He was speaking to reporters at the Chadchan police station on Friday (September 19, 2025).

Three robbers had taken the valuables from the bank at gunpoint on September 16. They tied up staff and customers and fled after nearly emptying the locker.

Investigators traced a car used for the offence within an hour-and-a-half of the crime. They found 21 gold packets and ₹1.03 lakh in cash in the car. Preliminary investigations revealed that it was stolen from Mangalwede. The accused had used a fake number plate.

Since then, the Solapur police and Vijayapura police began working together. They surrounded the entire village and kept it under surveillance. Necessary operations, including checking vehicles, were carried out. Around this time, a bag was found on top of a dilapidated house in the village. The bag was filled with gold and money stolen from the bank, the SP said.

A case has been registered in Mangalwede about the stolen car. The investigation is being carried out jointly by the Solapur and Vijayapura Police investigation teams, the SP said.