In a carefully orchestrated robbery, unidentified culprits looted approximately 59 kg of pledged gold jewellery and ₹5.2 lakh in cash from Canara Bank’s Managuli branch in Vijayapura district, Karnataka.
The incident likely took place on Sunday, May 25, during the weekend closure. It came to light on Monday morning when a part-time cleaner noticed the shutter lock had been tampered with. A formal complaint was lodged by the branch manager on May 26.
Vijayapura SP Lakshman Nimbargi stated that the bank had been closed on May 24 due to the fourth Saturday holiday. Upon inspection, it was discovered that a locker containing pledged gold had been opened using a duplicate key. The robbers had broken through the main entrance and disabled the bank’s alarm system. Interestingly, another locker filled with valuables was left untouched, suggesting the gang had detailed internal knowledge of the bank’s layout.
Police believe that the gang—likely consisting of six to eight members—had conducted prior surveillance. Adding an unusual twist, a black doll was placed near a broken window, suggesting the use of black magic to mislead investigators. Authorities suspect this was a deliberate attempt to derail the probe.
According to customers, nearly ₹53 crore worth of gold was pledged by individuals from surrounding areas like Hernal and Hubballi. Many now question the bank’s lack of stringent security.
Eight police teams have been deployed to track the suspects. Officials remain optimistic about making arrests soon.
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