In a breakthrough, the Vijayapura police have cracked last month’s sensational gold and cash robbery at the Canara Bank branch in Managuli town, Basavanabagewadi taluk, recovering a portion of the stolen gold and exposing a dramatic inside job masterminded by a trusted senior bank manager.
On May 25, a gang broke into the Canara Bank branch and looted a staggering 58.97 kg (58,976.94 grams) of gold ornaments worth an estimated Rs 53.26 crore and Rs 5.20 lakh in cash from the locker room. The audacious robbery, which stunned the district and banking circles, has turned out to be an elaborate inside job led by Vijayakumar Miriyala — a former senior manager of the same branch — who is currently posted at Canara Bank in Ronihal village, Vijayapura district.
Announcing the breakthrough, SP Laxman Nimbargi said the police have arrested Vijayakumar Miriyala, Chandrashekhar Nerella — an employee at a private firm in Hubballi — and Sunil Moka, also from Hubballi. Two cars used in the crime, along with approximately 10.5 kg of gold ornaments and gold bars worth an estimated Rs 10.75 crore, have been seized so far. The gang had melted down the stolen gold to make it easier to transport and conceal.
Revealing chilling details of the plot, SP Nimbargi said, “The accused planned the robbery for several months. Vijayakumar Miriyala, the mastermind, forged duplicate keys for the bank locker room and tested them while he was still in charge of the Managuli branch. He passed the original keys to his accomplices before his transfer and waited for the right moment to execute the plan.”
The gang picked May 23-24 for the heist, hoping to use local distractions to their advantage. They originally planned to strike on May 23 during the RCB-Hyderabad IPL match, banking on the celebrations if RCB won. When RCB lost, they postponed the break-in to the following night. They carefully disabled the CCTV cameras and cut the power supply to high-mast lights near the bank.
Police investigations revealed that the gang drew inspiration from English and Hindi movies on how to break into banks and escape without leaving a trace. They even transported two-wheelers used in the heist inside a truck to avoid being noticed. They planned disguises down to the last detail, deciding who would wear which mask and clothing during the break-in.
To mislead investigators, the accused staged fake ‘ritual scenes’ inside the bank, placing saffron, turmeric, and blowtorches to mimic cases from Tamil Nadu and Kerala, where criminals were believed to have used black magic. They even sprinkled salt powder inside the premises to throw off sniffer dogs and hamper forensic detection of fingerprints.
The elaborate conspiracy came apart when police traced a suspicious Hubballi-registered car travelling from Vijayapura to Hubballi late at night near Gaddanakeri Cross in Bagalkot district — an unusual route at that hour. When the car’s ownership was verified, it led directly to Vijayakumar Miriyala.
When taken into custody and grilled, Miriyala’s confession blew the lid off the entire plan. Further arrests and recovery operations are underway, with multiple teams working to apprehend the remaining accused and locate the rest of the stolen gold, much of which is believed to have been melted and relocated.
SP Laxman Nimbargi confirmed that this is the second-largest gold jewellery robbery in Karnataka’s history. “We formed eight special teams to crack this case. The conspirators were highly organised and left no stone unturned to mislead the investigation,” he said.
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