A robbery at the SBI branch in Nyamathi, Davangere district, has left customers worried and angry. On October 28, thieves broke into the bank’s locker and stole 17 kg gold jewelry worth ₹12.95 crore. Even after 17 days, the gold hasn’t been recovered.
Many customers had pledged their gold to get loans and are now demanding it back. They claim the bank is offering compensation based on the total weight of the jewelry, including stones and other materials, instead of just the gold weight.
In connection with the theft of 17 kg of gold from a State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Davanagere district, Karnataka, police conducted a raid in Kakrala town, Uttar Pradesh, on Saturday. They detained 17 individuals, but the stolen gold has not yet been recovered. The detained suspects are being interrogated, while Karnataka Police continue to camp in the area to recover the missing gold.
“I deposited 500 grams of gold for a ₹20 lakh loan, but they are saying they’ll only pay for 300 grams. This is not fair. I don’t want money; I want my gold,” said Kavita, a distressed customer.
The theft has caused emotional stress in many families. Mamata, another customer, said, “We pledged gold for my children’s education and farm expenses. Now there are fights in my family because of this. Some of the gold belonged to my late sister, saved for her children. We don’t want money; we want our gold.”
On Saturday, over 200 people protested by marching from Surahonne IB to the police station and the Tehsildar’s office, demanding action. They chanted slogans like “Our Gold, Our Right” and asked the bank to take responsibility.
Customers are also unhappy with the bank’s response. A staff member, Anand, said, “I can’t comment on this. The regional manager will decide on claims and compensation. We have sent customer requests to higher authorities.”
The police and SBI are investigating the case, but there has been no progress so far. The delay in finding the culprits and recovering the gold has made people question the bank’s security and accountability. This incident has caused both financial and emotional pain for customers, damaging their trust in the bank. They continue to demand that their gold be returned.
Authorities revealed that the detained individuals are part of a criminal group with a history of similar crimes. Notably, these criminals target banks in other states, carrying out thefts, robberies, and dacoities far from their home district. After stealing gold or valuables, they return to Kakrala and sell the stolen goods at significantly reduced prices.
