A major robbery occurred at the Sangli District Cooperative Bank in Zare, near Atpadi, on the Karad–Pandharpur road in Maharashtra. The bank branch operates in a rented two-story building. The owner, Tukaram Padalkar, lives on the upper floor with his family.
As per report thieves broke into the bank and opened 22 lockers using a gas cutter, stealing 8–10 kilograms of gold. They did not take any cash from the strong room, but jewelry and important documents from the lockers were stolen. The robbery was discovered in the morning when bank employees came to open the branch. They saw the locker room damaged and in disorder.
The police and senior bank officials were informed immediately. Investigators think the thieves entered through a back window and only targeted the lockers, not the cash counters or strong room. The exact value of the stolen items is not yet known and will be confirmed only after the locker owners report their losses.
The police are investigating using CCTV footage, fingerprints, and other technical evidence. The thieves’ identities are still unknown. The incident has caused fear among local citizens, who are now demanding better security in banks.
This robbery raises serious concerns about bank security, especially since there was no security guard, even though the bank stored large amounts of cash, gold, and important documents.