A recent bank burglary in Davanagere, Karnataka, has led to the arrest of six suspects, all first-time offenders, who allegedly stole 17.7kg of gold worth nearly Rs 16 crore from an SBI branch. The mastermind behind the heist, Vijay Kumar from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, had been inspired to commit the crime after watching the crime drama “Money Heist” 15 times, along with bank robbery documentaries and YouTube videos. Vijay, who had previously applied for a Rs 15 lakh loan with the bank to fund his struggling bakery business, was rejected due to a low Cibil score, leaving him “frustrated” and seeking revenge.
The suspects, who were equipped with hand gloves, gas-cutters, and chilli powder, spent six months conducting recces of the bank, including during times when the branch was shut. They even went so far as to bury the stolen gold at a farmhouse belonging to Vijay in Madurai, using the chilli powder to evade detection by sniffer dogs. The algorithm, which was deployed to the scene of the crime, lost its trail after a certain distance, allowing the suspects to get away with their loot for a while.
However, the police ultimately caught up with the suspects, who all had prior criminal records. The LoC was recovered, and 17kg of gold was recovered. The success of the investigations was attributed to the professionalism and dedication of the police officers involved. The police also stated that the suspects had used cellphones, and it was clear that they were propelled by in cafe over the loan disappointment.