Mangaluru Police Crack Kotekar Bank Robbery Case, Three Arrested
Mangaluru: In a breakthrough, the Mangaluru Police have arrested three individuals in connection with the daring bank robbery at the Kotekar Cooperative Society on January 17.
The accused, identified as Murugan, Prakash alias Jaiswa, and Manivannan, hail from Tamil Nadu. According to the police, a gang of five armed men stormed into the bank, threatening staff with pistols and machetes before fleeing with stolen goods.
Following the incident, a case was registered, and a thorough investigation led the police to Tamil Nadu, where they apprehended the trio on January 20. The police have recovered a machete, two pistols, and other assets from the accused.
The arrested individuals had fled to Tirunelveli after the robbery. The police are investigating further to nab the remaining accused.
The accused used a car registered in Maharashtra for the crime. After committing the crime, they fled to Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu via Kerala.
“This crime would not have been possible without the involvement of local elements. We suspect collusion and are interrogating the arrested suspects,” Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal said.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah attending an event in Mangaluru city had held an emergency meeting with senior police officers and ordered urgent action to nab the dacoits.
According to the police, the dacoits barged into the K.C. Road branch of the Kotekar Agricultural Cooperative Bank in Mangaluru in a car, threatening the staff with guns, swords, and knives. They made off with gold articles worth over Rs 12 crore and Rs 5 lakh in cash.
The gang filled gold and cash into four to five bags before disappearing.
Following the preliminary investigation, the police suspected the involvement of insiders. The bank’s CCTV cameras had been sent for repair the day the crime occurred, which had raised suspicions.
In light of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s visit to Mangaluru, the police department was busy making security arrangements. The bank is located in a region with a large population from the minority community, and the road was empty as many had gone to offer prayers. The police believe the dacoits studied the situation and planned the robbery accordingly.
The police department formed eight teams under the leadership of ACP Dhanya Nayak to crack the case. Two suspected persons were earlier grilled in the case.
The same Mangaluru bank was robbed in 2017. The police teams had gone to Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Mumbai and Goa.
The latest incident raised concerns, coming just a day after two robbers shot dead an ATM cash vehicle staffer and looted Rs 93 lakh in cash in Bidar city of the state.
On October 28, 2024, the robbers broke open a window of the building of the State Bank of India (SBI) and looted Rs 12.95 crore worth of gold jewellery in Nyamati town of Davangere district. The gang had also taken away the DVR and CCTV installed in the bank. The police are suspecting the involvement of the same gang behind these incidents.
