Money Heist Style Robbery In Karnataka: Armed Robbers Loot SBI Branch, Flee With Rs 21 Crore Cash

A major bank robbery took place in Karnataka's Vijayapura district on Tuesday, in which a gang of over five masked men stormed into the State Bank of India branch in Chadachan town and fled with huge cash and gold. The robbers were dressed in military-style uniforms and carried guns and sharp weapons, drawing comparisons to the popular Spanish series ‘Money Heist'.

They entered the bank during working hours and quickly overpowered the staff with the help of their weapons. The manager, cashier and other employees were tied up and locked inside a room by the gang. The armed men then broke into the bank lockers and fled with a huge amount of cash and gold, sending shockwaves across the district.

According to a report by NDTV, the robbers escaped with valuables worth around Rs 21 crore. The robbers also fled with approximately 58 kilograms of gold, a Matrubhumi report mentioned.

Soon after the incident, Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbargi and other senior officials reached the spot. The area has been cordoned off and teams have been called in to further investigate the incident.

The Chadachan Police has registered a case. A manhunt has also been launched to catch the gang members. 

A report by Mathrubhumi noted that the incident took place on Tuesday evening, around 7:30 p.m. The gang arrived just as the bank was closing for the day.

According to staff members, around nine people were part of the gang. All of them had their faces covered and were armed with guns and weapons, the Matrubhumi report added.

Preliminary reports suggest that the gang may have come from Maharashtra. After the robbery, they are believed to have escaped towards the Maharashtra border. The police have also found a getaway car used by the robbers, Mathrubhumi reported. The vehicle was found abandoned in Solapur, along with a portion of the stolen gold. A joint operation involving the Karnataka and Maharashtra police personnel has been launched.  

The robbers reportedly fled on foot after the car hit a herd of goats. Karnataka Police has launched a full-scale investigation into the incident and is working to track down the gang.