E-Paper
₹13 crore gold heist: Gang steals 17 kg of gold ornaments from SBI locker in Karnataka
The jewellery kept in lockers was stolen on the night of either October 25 or 26.
In a major bank heist, 509 customers of a Karnataka branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) have lost gold ornaments worth ₹13 crore, as reported by Deccan Herald.
These items were mortgaged for gold loans and stored in bank lockers when the heist occurred.
According to the report, the theft took place in Nyamathi town, 325 km away from Bengaluru. A total of 932 customers had borrowed gold loans from the bank, securing them with ornaments weighing 17.705 kg. However, the burglars made off with jewelry belonging to 509 customers.
Robbery execution
The jewellery kept in lockers was stolen on the night of either October 25 or 26, as the bank was closed those days, The Indian Express reported. The thieves entered the bank through a window on the left side. They utilised gas cutters to breach three locker doors but managed to successfully open only one. Additionally, the thieves disabled CCTV cameras and the digital video recorder to evade detection, the report added.
Currently, the mahazar procedure, which is essential for documenting the crime scene and facilitating further investigation, has not been conducted. As a result, most of the loanees, primarily from rural areas, are unable to enter the bank premises, heightening their concerns over whether their jewelry has been stolen or remains safe in the lockers.
The police are still working on cracking the case, and no significant progress has been reported thus far.
(Also Read: Miscreant breaks into home late at night, robs 70-year-old woman of gold chain in Bengaluru)
Recently, a 70-year-old woman was robbed of her gold chain by a miscreant who broke into her home in north Bengaluru after midnight.
the incident took place at a multi-storey building near Bairaveshwara Circle in Sidedahalli, where the elderly woman, Manamma, resides alone. The break-in occurred between 12.20 am and 12.40 am.
The intruder managed to unlatch the door through an open window. When he attempted to snatch Manamma’s gold chain, she woke up and confronted him. Despite her resistance, the man pushed her off the cot, injuring her neck, and fled with the chain, valued at ₹85,000, reported added.
