On 7 January, a gang broke into a bank in Atpadi town of Sangli district, Maharashtra, and looted valuables worth several crores of rupees by cutting open bank lockers. In a major breakthrough in the case, one gang member has now been arrested. The accused has been identified as Rahul Sharma, a resident of Kakrala town in Badaun district of Uttar Pradesh. He was arrested from Badaun by a joint team of the Uttar Pradesh Police and Maharashtra Police.
What Was Revealed During Bank Robbery Questioning?
During police questioning, Rahul Sharma revealed how the bank robbery was planned. Accused said that he was in contact with Shani Patil from Sangli, Maharashtra, who had been living in Kakrala for the past seven years and worked in silver melting. Rahul and Shani became friends there, and since Rahul was already involved in the illegal buying and melting of gold and silver, they together planned the bank robbery in Maharashtra. Rahul then contacted two thieves from Kakrala and three from Kasganj district, while Shani Patil arranged three men from Maharashtra.
In total, nine people were involved in the crime. The gang broke a bank window and stole 30 kg of silver, 6 kg of gold, and ₹4.5 lakh in cash. After carrying out the theft, the gang divided the stolen items among themselves and returned to their respective places.
Regarding Rahul background, he had earlier opened a gym with his friends and later started a jewellery (sarafa) business with partners. However, his partners distanced themselves from him after discovering his involvement in buying stolen goods and his association with criminals. Following this, Rahul became increasingly isolated and gradually moved away from legitimate business activities. His father was employed at a jeweller’s shop, but reportedly lost his job after Rahul cheated the jeweller, which further affected the family’s situation.
Efforts are still on to trace the remaining accused and recover the rest of the stolen valuables. Police teams from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh are actively searching in Badaun and Kasganj. Maharashtra Police have taken Rahul on remand for further questioning and further investigation.
Also read: Sangli District Cooperative Bank Robbed: 22 Lockers Looted, 8–10 kg Gold Stolen
