Villagers Chase Robbers for 17 Km to Catch Four Accused in ₹36.5 Crore Bank Heist in Maharashtra

Four robbers who looted gold and cash worth around ₹36.5 crore from a bank in Maharashtra's Jalgaon district were caught after villagers chased them for nearly 17 kilometres. The dramatic chase, supported by local residents and police, led to the arrest of all four accused within a few hours of the robbery. Police also recovered the entire stolen cash and gold. One of the arrested men is a dismissed police sub-inspector.

The robbery took place on Saturday afternoon at a nationalised bank in Bhokar village. According to the police, four men wearing helmets and covering their faces entered the bank between 2.45 pm and 3.15 pm. They threatened the security guard and bank staff with a firearm before attacking employees and forcing them to hand over the keys to the strong room.

The robbers took around ₹12.3 lakh in cash and 27 kg of pledged gold jewellery, worth approximately ₹36.4 crore. They also tied up the bank employees, covered their mouths and locked them inside a room before escaping on motorcycles.

Villagers Chase Robbers for Nearly 17 Km

The robber's escape plan did not go as expected. Two bank employees managed to free themselves and immediately informed the villagers about the robbery. They also started chasing the robbers. 

The chase continued for nearly 17 kilometres through village roads. Residents of nearby villages were also alerted and helped track the suspects. Village police representatives, known as police patils, shared information and helped block possible escape routes as per reports. Their quick action played an important role in catching the robbers before they could escape.

All Four Accused Arrested, Stolen Gold Recovered

The first major breakthrough came near Diksai village, where villagers and police caught two of the accused. Information received from them helped the police track down the remaining two robbers. A road blockade was then arranged, leading to the arrest of the other two accused. Police recovered all the stolen cash and 27 kg of gold jewellery.

One of the accused, reportedly identified as Shankar Jasak, is a dismissed police sub-inspector who was previously arrested in another bank robbery case. Police said all four accused have criminal records. After the successful operation, Jalgaon Superintendent of Police Shrikant Dhivre felicitated the villagers for their courage and quick response in helping the police catch the robbers.