Bank heist in Karnataka: Thieves flee with 59 kg of gold from Canara Bank

Vijayapura: In a major heist, thieves decamped with 59 kg of gold from the Mangoli branch of Canara Bank recently, a senior police official confirmed on Monday.

The gold was deposited by people who took loans from the bank, Vijayapura Superintendent of Police Laxman B Nimbargi told reporters. He briefed about the incident following confirmation from the bank officials that 59 kg of gold was stolen.

He added that the staff locked the bank on the evening of May 23, and it remained closed on May 24 and 25, being the fourth Saturday and Sunday. On May 26, when the peon returned to clean the branch, he noticed the shutter locks were cut. He immediately informed the police of the incident. 

"After inspection, it was found that the thieves had sneaked into the bank and stole the booty. Bank officials have evaluated the booty and found that 59 kg of gold had been stolen. The gold was deposited with the bank against gold loan," Nimbargi said. Eight teams have been formed to investigate the case, he added.

Police suspect that the theft would have happened on the intervening night of May 24 and 25. "An investigation is in progress. We will soon arrest the accused and take the case to its logical end," the police officer said.