Daijiworld Media Network - Davanagere

Davangere, Mar 31: Police investigating the October 2024 bank heist in Nyamati, Davangere, initially had no clear leads. However, their extensive inquiry not only led to the arrest of those involved but also resulted in the capture of the notorious Kakrala gang from Uttar Pradesh, responsible for multiple bank robberies across South India.

"Solving this case has led to multiple breakthroughs for the Karnataka police. Apart from recovering a significant portion of the stolen property and arresting those involved in the Nyamati SBI theft, our teams also managed to apprehend active members of the Kakrala gang," said Davangere SP Uma Prashath on Monday.

She added that the arrests have helped detect several other bank-related crimes across South India and will aid in preventing further offenses by the gang.

Investigation leads to Kakrala gang

One of the key strategies employed by the investigation team was analyzing failed bank robbery attempts in Karnataka. The SBI bank theft attempt in Holehonnur, Bhadravati, on August 2, 2024, located just 30 km from Nyamati, provided crucial clues.

Technical evidence indicated that the perpetrators were members of the Kakrala gang, hailing from Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun district. The Kakrala gang, along with 5-6 similar criminal groups from the region, has been behind several bank robberies in South India for the past decade, including the 2024 gold theft at the SBI branch in Rayaparathy, Telangana.

The gang’s modus operandi closely resembled the Nyamati bank heist, except for the use of chilli powder. Their typical methods included targeting banks located near open fields, entering through windows, using gas cutters, stealing DVRs, and avoiding mobile phone usage to prevent tracking.

From November 2024 to February 2025, police teams carried out operations across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh to apprehend the gang members. Based on these efforts, police arrested five notorious criminals identified as Guddu Kalia, Aslam alias Tantun, Hazarath Ali, Kamruddin alias Sareilly Babu, and Babu Sahan.

These individuals had been absconding in multiple cases in Karnataka since 2014. Among the major crimes they were linked to were the 15 kg gold robbery from Karnataka Grameena Bank’s Hosahalli branch in November 2022 and the 4 kg gold heist from the same bank’s Bevuru branch.

This marked the first time Karnataka police had successfully apprehended members of the Kakrala gang. The investigation further led to the detection of other bank-related offenses in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. However, no direct evidence linked them to the Nyamati heist, prompting police to continue their search.

Despite an exhaustive review of voluminous data, the investigation team faced challenges in identifying the Nyamati SBI bank robbers, who had left no fingerprints, CCTV footage, toll records, or phone traces.

However, after months of investigation, police arrested six individuals: Vijay Kumar, 30, Ajay Kumar, 28, Abheesheka, 23, Chandru, 23, Manjunath, 32, and Paramananda, 30. Vijay Kumar and Ajay Kumar are brothers, while Paramananda is their sister’s husband. Notably, all were first-time offenders.

The main accused, Vijay Kumar, had hidden most of the stolen gold in a locker, which he then lowered into a well in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, intending to retrieve it after two years. He was the only one aware of its location.

However, the gang had already begun liquidating some of the stolen gold to build houses and expand businesses. Police recovered gold pledged in financial institutions under Vijay Kumar’s relatives' names, as well as gold sold at various jewelry shops over the past five months. In total, police recovered 17 kg of the stolen gold.

Two-year waiting plan

Inspector general of police, Davangere east zone, B R Ravikanthe Gowda, stated that the gang had planned to wait for two years before using the stolen gold, assuming the case would fade from public memory.

"The accused had maintained secrecy, returning to their regular lives after the crime. Their plan was to divide the loot after two years," he said.

Police sources revealed that after the heist, the stolen gold was kept inside a car parked in Nyamati town for three days. Once vehicle checks were relaxed, the accused transported it to their village near Madurai.

With the arrests and recovery of stolen property, Karnataka police have successfully cracked the case, preventing further crimes and bringing an end to the criminal operations of one of the most notorious bank robbery gangs in the country.