Belagavi : The Belagavi police acted swiftly to crack down the BDCC bank’s Muragod branch in Savadatti taluk theft case by rounding-up three people including a clerk of the bank. Though used simple method to gain entry into the bank, the booty madeaway was highest ever innthe state’s bank robbery made ever in recent decades.

30-year-old, bank employee Basavaraj Sidlingappa Hunashikatti, resident of Toranagatti village in Ramdurg taluk and his friends 31-year-old Santosh Kalappa Kumbhar from Yaragatti, and 26-year-old Girish alias Yamanappa Laxman Belawal from Jeevapur village in Savadatti taluk. were the bank robbers from whom stolen cash of Rs 4,20,98,400 and 3kg 149.26 grams gold ornaments worth Rs 1,63,72,220 were recovered. Police also recovered a car and motorbike used for the crime.

Bank employee Basavaraj Hunashikatti had given the bank’s all the locks to the two others who had returned to him after getting its duplicate units and madeaway the booty on the night of March 6.

Bank manager Pramod Krishnappa Yaligar had registered the case in the Murgod police station on the March 7. As the amount and gold stolen was a fatty, Belagavi SP Laxman Nimbaragi had formed 4 teams to trace the burglars.