Vijayapura: Manager among three arrested for theft of 58 kg of gold from Canara Bank at Managuli

Mangalore Today News Network

Vijayapura, June 28, 2025: Vijayapura police have arrested three persons on the charge of robbing the Canara Bank branch in Managuli on May 25.

Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbaragi told reporters in Vijayapura on June 26 that the arrested persons are Vijayakumar Mohanara Miriyala, 41, Senior Manager of Canara Bank, and his accomplices Chandrashekar Kotilingam Nerella, 38, and Sunil Narrasimhalu Moka, 40. Gold jewellery and bars worth ₹10.75 crore, and two cars used during the offence were seized. 

 

 

The search for the remaining accused and the stolen items is underway. 

The accused had carried out the robbery after detailed planning and reconnaissance. They had placed some material in the bank branch to divert the attention of the police. 

Earlier, bank officials had complained to the police that thieves had broken into the bank branch between May 23 and 25 by cutting the rods in a window. They broke open a safe locker and stole 58.97 kg of gold ornaments worth an estimated ₹53.26 crore and ₹5,20,450 in cash. They had taken away the CCTV equipment to conceal their identity. 

Managuli police had registered a case under Sections 331(3), 331(4), 305(E) of the BNS 2023. 

According to the SP, the thieves first broke the lock at the entrance to enter the bank. They turned off the alarm and used a duplicate key to open a locker. The probe revealed that only one locker, containing gold, was opened. Gold in another locker was left intact.

Police suspected that the thieves had complete information about the bank. 

The SP said a bank window was broken and a black doll was worshipped to create an impression of black magic. This may have been done to divert the attention of the investigators, the police official said.

The SP had formed eight teams to solve the case. 

Mr. Nimbaragi said that the investigators worked under the direction of Additional SPs Shankar Marihal and Ramanagouda Hatti. Teams were formed under the leadership of Deputy SPs T.S. Sulpi, Sunil Kamble and  Ballappa Nandgavi. They included Circle Inspectors Ramesh Avaji, Gurushantha Dashyal and Ashoka Chavan, and Sub-inspectors Srikanth Kamble, Ashoka Nayak, Devaraj Ullagaddi, Basavaraj Tippareddy, Rakesh Bagali, Somesh Gejji, Vinod Dodamani, Vinod Poojary, Shivanand Patil, Yatheesh K. and Nagaratna Uppaladinni. 

The SP has congratulated the teams for collecting appropriate evidence in a scientific manner. 

The accused were produced in court in Vijayapura on June 26.