Armed gang robs bank of gold worth 14 Crores, 5.7 lakh cash within 15 minutes

A gang of six armed men carried out a daring bank robbery in broad daylight on Monday morning, striking at a bank in the Khitaula area, approximately 50 kilometers from Jabalpur. The robbers, armed with guns, terrorized the bank staff and managed to escape with a staggering 11 kg 800 gm of gold, valued at about Rs 14 crore, along with Rs 5.7 lakh in cash. The entire operation, which was executed with precision and lasted just 15 minutes, has sent shockwaves through the region and triggered a massive manhunt by the police.

The incident occurred at the Insaf Small Finance Bank around 11:00 a.m. According to eyewitness accounts from the staff, six young men arrived on three motorcycles and parked them outside the bank. They entered the premises one by one, appearing to be normal customers at first. Their actions, however, were a calculated move to observe the bank's operations before executing their plan.

After a brief period of surveillance, the men suddenly revealed their true intentions. They pulled out guns and pointed them at the bank employees, shouting threats and demanding they hand over the valuables. The staff, facing the imminent threat of violence, were forced to comply with the robbers' demands, which included handing over the keys to the vault.

The robbers repeatedly threatened to shoot the staff if they did not cooperate. Once the robbery was complete, the gang of six fled the scene on their motorcycles, escaping in different directions to avoid capture. Immediately after their departure, the bank staff raised the alarm, prompting a swift response from the local police.

Upon receiving the information, senior police officers, including DIG Atul Singh, SP Sampat Upadhyay, and Additional Superintendent Suryakant Sharma, rushed to the scene to assess the situation. The police immediately launched a major investigation, deploying dog squads and fingerprint experts to search the area around Khitaula and Sihora for any clues left by the suspects. Checkpoints were also set up across the district to monitor all outgoing traffic.

Police are currently reviewing CCTV footage from both inside the bank and the surrounding areas in a bid to identify the robbers and their movements. An alert has been issued to police forces in the neighboring districts of Katni, Mandla, and Dindori, with an appeal to be on the lookout for any suspicious individuals or vehicles. The ongoing investigation includes questioning bank employees and locals from nearby areas to gather any information that might lead to the apprehension of the culprits.