Surat bank heist: Eight held from various states for robbing cash, jewellery worth Rs 1.05 crore

Representational pic

Eight members of an interstate gang were arrested for stealing cash and jewellery, collectively worth Rs 1.05 crore, from a bank in Surat, Gujarat, a police officer said on Friday.

Apart from Surat, the accused were nabbed from, Delhi, Punjab and Bihar, news agency PTI reported. However, the alleged mastermind, Suraj Luhar, who hails from West Bengal, is on the run, the officer added.

"Cash and valuables worth Rs 53.58 lakh have been recovered from Dipak Mahto, Yash Mahatma, Barkhukumar Bind, Suraj Singh, Jayprakash Bind, Kundankumar Bind, Khiru Bind and Badal Mahato. On the night of December 16, some unidentified persons entered the Union Bank of India (UBI) branch in Palod in Mangrol taluka by making a hole in a wall separating the bank and a private office," a release issued by the police said.

The thieves managed to break six lockers and steal cash and jewellery worth Rs 1.05 crore, including 1.47 kilogrammes (kg) of gold and 4 kg of silver ornaments, the Surat Police release stated.

"After scanning nearly 500 CCTV clips, we found that Dipak Mahato and Yash Mahatma, both residents of Sayan village here [Surat], helped Luhar in conducting recce of the area. They helped carry out the crime by deploying their pick up truck. Their questioning led to Khiru and Kundankumar being nabbed from a Naxal-affected area in Bihar's Munger district. Badalkumar Mahato was nabbed from Bhagalpur in Bihar while Jayprakash was held from Punjab," the release added.

"Suraj Singh and Barkhukumar were arrested from Delhi. Mahato and Luhar belong to the same village and know each other well. Mahato, a labour contractor in Sayan, called Luhar to work in local business units in Surat. Luhar carried out a recce of the bank for 20 days in August," the release said.

Luhar allegedly called his associates to Surat, following which Mahato arranged for a concrete breaker, an electric grinder and other tools to break the wall, PTI reported, quoting the police.

Luhar, Suraj Singh, Jayprakash Bind, Kundankumar Bind, Khiru Bind and Badal Mahato allegedly entered the bank after creating a hole in the wall and cut open the lockers using an electric grinder, the release added.

"They reached Vadodara railway station in the morning and then went to Delhi where they divided the bounty at Barkhukumar's godown. They then left for different places. They gave a gold chain to Barkhukumar as a reward for allowing use of his godown," it said.

(With PTI inputs)