Three arrested, ₹4.3 crore in cash recovered

Bank staff among the accused; police also seize jewellery worth ₹1.6 crore

The Belagavi District Police arrested on Sunday three people, including a staff member, for looting the District Central Bank Branch in Murgod near Saundatti. The robbery was committed on March 5.

Basavraj Hunshikatti (30), a clerk in the branch, and his associates, Santosh Kambar (31) and Girish Belwal (26) have been held on the charge of looting the bank of around ₹4.3 crore in cash and jewellery worth around ₹1.6 crore.

Superintendent of Police Lakshman Nimbargi told journalists in Murgod on Sunday that the investigating team has recovered the valuables intact. The team recovered ₹4,20,98,400 in cash and three kilograms of gold and silver ornaments worth ₹1,63,72,220 from the gang.

A car and a motorcycle used for the crime have been seized.

The Superintendent of Police had formed four teams led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Ramanagouda Hatti and other officers.

Basavraj Hunshikatti, main accused, is a resident of Toranagatti village near Ramdurg. He was a clerk in the branch. He had served as in-charge cashier during the lockdown. An avid reader of detective novels, he planned the heist well in advance. He had obtained duplicates of 17 keys of the shutter, doors and safe lockers.

He got his two associates Santosh Kalappa Kambar (31) of Yaragatti and Girish alias Yamanappa Laxman Belwal (26) of Jeevapur village to join him in the loot by promising them to pay ₹5 lakh each as their share in the bounty. He cut off the CCTV camera and alarm systems and used a hired car to transport the loot. He packed the cash and jewellery in plastic bags and buried them in his family’s sugarcane field in a nearby village, police sources said.