Rs 15.35-crore heist in MP: Gold, cash looted from Bank of Maharashtra; 2 suspects detained

Further investigation into the robbery is underway. Representational Pic

More than Rs 15 crore worth of gold and cash was looted from a Bank of Maharashtra branch in the Baidhan area of Singrauli district, in Madhya Pradesh, news agency PTI reported, quoting the police. Two accused have been detained, while search operations are underway to trace the remaining suspects.

Robbery details

According to officers, the robbery took place on Friday afternoon when five masked men entered the bank and fled with around 10 kilograms of gold and approximately Rs 35 lakh in cash.

The total value of the stolen items is estimated at about Rs 15.35 crore. The incident triggered panic in Singrauli and drew attention at the state level.

Multi-state search underway

Singrauli Superintendent of Police Manish Khatri said police teams have been deployed across multiple states to trace the remaining accused.

"We have achieved a preliminary breakthrough so far. Police teams have been deployed across various states. We will provide further updates as soon as new information becomes available," he said.

Special teams formed

The police have formed 10 special teams under the direction of Rewa Zone Special Director General Anil Kumar and Inspector General Gaurav Rajput to investigate the case and track down the suspects.

One accused was apprehended with the assistance of Bihar Railway Police, while another was also detained from Bihar, officers said.

Minister reviews situation

Meanwhile, MP Minister Sampatiya Uikey visited the district headquarters on Saturday morning and reviewed the situation with senior police officers, directing them to expedite the arrest of all accused.

"I express my gratitude to the police officials for their swift and sensitive response to a critical situation in the city, which is located at the border of four states: Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. The police utilised camera footage to identify and apprehend the perpetrators within 24 hours. We are working diligently to prevent such incidents in the future," she said.

Accused identified, probe continues

She further stated that all the five suspects have been identified and two have been detained from Bihar.

"I am confident that all five suspects will be caught soon. We are continuously coordinating with the administration to ensure such incidents do not happen again," she added.

Further investigation into the robbery is underway.

(With PTI inputs)