Karnataka: Armed gang looting gold worth Rs 15 crore, Rs 5 lakh cash from Ullal bank caught on cam (WATCH)
A gang of six armed robbers looted Rs 15 crore worth of gold ornaments and Rs 5 lakh cash from the Kotekar Agricultural Cooperative Bank in Ullal. The heist carried out in broad daylight, was caught on CCTV, and authorities are intensifying efforts to apprehend the criminals.
FollowMangaluru, Jan 17: In a daring daylight robbery, a gang of six armed miscreants looted gold ornaments worth over Rs 15 crore and Rs 5 lakh in cash from the Kotekar Agricultural Cooperative Bank on KC Road near Ullal. The brazen heist took place on Friday afternoon, sending shockwaves through the region.
The robbers, armed with guns and swords, entered the bank during peak hours when five bank employees were inside. They threatened the staff at gunpoint and forced them to open the bank’s vault. The gang then emptied the vault, taking gold jewellery and cash, before escaping in a grey Fiat car.
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The criminals displayed complete control during the robbery, holding the staff members—three women, one man, and a CCTV technician—at gunpoint. The technician, who was fixing the CCTV system at the time, also became a victim when the robbers took a ring from him before completing their crime.
Witnesses reported that the gang, who spoke Kannada among themselves but communicated with the bank staff in Hindi, had planned the heist meticulously. At the time of the robbery, the bank’s CCTV system was under repair, which allowed the criminals to carry out the crime without being captured on video inside the bank. However, the robbers’ escape was caught on the outside CCTV camera.
Karnataka Assembly Speaker UT Khader visited the crime scene and urged the police to speed up the investigation and apprehend the culprits. The police are working closely with forensic experts and a canine squad to gather evidence and track down the suspects. The focus of the investigation is on the grey Fiat car used by the criminals to flee the scene.
It is believed that the robbers chose Friday afternoon for their crime as it was a relatively quiet time in the area. The day also coincided with the CM's program in Mangaluru, and locals had been heading to the mosque for prayers. The gang may have exploited this moment of reduced activity to carry out the robbery.
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Local police, including the Ullal Police and a team led by ACP Dhanya Nayak, are conducting a thorough investigation. They are reviewing witness statements and analyzing evidence to track down the robbers. Preliminary estimates suggest that the stolen gold ornaments and cash total around Rs 15 crore, though a detailed valuation is still underway.
The robbery at the Kotekar Cooperative Bank comes just a day after a similar incident in Bidar, where a gunshot was fired during a robbery at an ATM.
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