Sunil Haleangady
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Updated
Mangaluru, Nov 21: Thieves broke into a co-operative bank at Kinnigoli under Mulky police limits on the intervening night of Friday November 20 and Saturday November 21 and decamped with gold worth Rs 4.63 crore and Rs 3.55 lac in cash.
The thieves broke into SKG Goldsmith Industrial Co-operative Bank in Kinnigoli.
It is learnt that the thieves gained access to the top floor of the bank complex from an under-construction building located on the back. They then removed the sheets covering the roof and entered after breaking the shutters of the bank.
The thieves broke open the largest of the three lockers in the bank and looted the gold and cash. They also took away the CCTV recorders installed in the bank.
Sources said that there was no security guard and the thieves also cut the siren wiren and put off the main switch.
The theft came to light when the owner of shop who has a godown next to the bank came up and noticed the shutters of the bank broken.
As news of the theft spread, anxious customers came to the spot and expressed concerns over their gold and cash deposits. On receiving information, Pandeshwar police inspector Diwakar and Mulky SI Vaman Salian arrived and pacified the customers, saying that their gold was insured and they could come back on Monday with the relevant documents and claim insurance.
It is learnt that a matchbox with text printed in Tamil was found at the spot, giving rise to suspicions that persons from Tamil Nadu may be behind the crime. However, it is also suspected that the matchbox may have been deliberately planted to mislead the police.
Fingerprint experts and canine squad arrived at the spot, but due to rain overnight, their investigation was hindered.
DCP Shantaraju, DCP (crime) Sanjeeva Patil, ACP Madan Gaonkar, SI Vaman Salian and other police personnel visited the spot.
Mulky police have registered a case.