VIJAYAPURA: Two days after armed, masked men robbed the SBI branch at Chadachan town in Vijayapura district, the police have recovered a bag containing some cash and gold from Huljanti village in Solapur taluk of Maharashtra.

On September 16 evening, a gang of five men entered the SBI branch, tied up the staff and customers and made away with Rs 1.4 crore in cash and 20 kg of gold ornaments. While making their getaway, their car had hit a two-wheeler at Huljanti village, leading to a commotion following which the robbers had abandoned the car and fled. The police had then recovered Rs 1.3 lakh in cash and 21 packets of gold from the car.

Police Superintendent Lakshman Nimbaragi said, “On Thursday afternoon, the Vijayapura and Maharashtra police held a meeting with the villagers of Huljanti and sought information about one of the robbers whom they had apprehended and also about the stolen cash and gold. The police also conducted a search in the village and, in the evening, a bag containing Rs 41 lakh in cash and 6.54 kg of gold was found on the asbestos roof of a dilapidated house. We have formed eight teams and are on the lookout for the robbers”.
The villagers of Huljanti also returned to the police Rs 2.5 lakh in cash and a gold locket which the robbers had dropped by the roadside. Meanwhile, the SBI branch customers are anxious and the recovery of some cash and gold has brought a sense of relief to them. They expressed hope that the police will recover all the stolen cash and gold and arrest the armed robbers soon.