Canara Bank Senior Manager Arrested in Rs.53 Crore Bank Robbery, He was involved in Robbery

Karnataka: The Vijayapura Police have arrested three men, including a senior bank manager, for their role in the robbery at Canara Bank’s Managuli branch, which took place between May 23 and 25. Unidentified individuals had looted nearly 59 kg of gold jewellery valued at ₹53.26 crore, along with ₹5.20 lakh in cash, from the Canara Bank branch in Managuli, located in Basavana Bagewadi taluk of Karnataka’s Vijayapura district.

The arrests were announced by Superintendent of Police (SP) Laxman Nimbaragi on June 26. The three accused are:

• Vijayakumar Mohanara Miriyala, 41, Senior Manager at Canara Bank
• Chandrashekar Kotilingam Nerella, 38
• Sunil Narrasimhalu Moka, 40

The police have recovered gold jewellery and gold bars worth ₹10.75 crore and two cars that were used during the robbery.

Robbery Was Well-Planned

According to the police, the robbery was not a random act but a carefully planned operation. The accused had detailed knowledge of the bank and how it functioned. To mislead investigators, they placed strange objects inside the bank—possibly to make it look like black magic was involved. For example, a broken window and a black doll were found, likely used to divert the attention of the police.

What Happened During the Robbery?

Bank officials had earlier reported that the thieves broke into the branch by cutting window bars sometime between May 23 and May 25.

• They opened a safe locker using a duplicate key and turned off the bank alarm.
• They stole nearly 59 kg of gold jewellery, estimated to be worth ₹53.26 crore, and also ₹5.2 lakh in cash.
• To hide their identity, the robbers removed the CCTV recording equipment.
• Interestingly, they only took gold from one locker and left the second locker untouched, showing they knew exactly where the gold was.

The crime came to light around 11:30 a.m. on May 25, when Sambaji D Kamakar, a staff member, noticed the main shutter lock was broken. He immediately informed the Branch-in-Charge, Kalmesh Layappa Pujari, who rushed to the branch and found both the shutter lock and window grills forcibly cut, confirming signs of a break-in.

Police Investigation and Efforts

The Managuli police registered a case under new sections of the law (Sections 331(3), 331(4), 305(E) of the BNS 2023). SP Laxman Nimbaragi formed eight special teams to investigate the case. The investigation was led by:

• Additional SPs: Shankar Marihal and Ramanagouda Hatti
• Deputy SPs: T.S. Sulpi, Sunil Kamble, and Ballappa Nandgavi
• Circle Inspectors and Sub-Inspectors from different police stations also worked on the case.

The police team used scientific methods to gather evidence and successfully tracked down the culprits.

Upon inspection, the police and bank officials found that the main door of the strong room was untouched, but the inner grill gate had been cut and bent. Inside, one of the steel almirahs used to store pledged gold ornaments had been completely emptied. According to the bank, a total of 1,373 gold packets, weighing a gross 59,348.94 grams, were missing. However, around 372 grams of gold was found scattered on the floor, putting the net amount stolen at 58,976.94 grams.

Additionally, another almirah containing cash had been opened, and a total of ₹5,20,450 was missing. To cover their tracks, the robbers also removed the CCTV NVR unit and its hard disk, erasing all surveillance footage related to the crime.

Accused Presented in Court

The three arrested individuals were presented in Vijayapura Court on June 26. Meanwhile, the search is still on for other people involved in the crime and for remaining stolen gold and cash.

SP Nimbaragi praised the investigating teams for their hard work and successful efforts in solving a high-value robbery involving one of their own—a senior bank officer.

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