A joint operation by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) and Jharkhand Police on Friday in Varanasi solved a high-value daylight robbery at a Bank of Maharashtra branch in Barhi, Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand, with three alleged members of an interstate gang, including its alleged kingpin, arrested and part of the looted cash and gold recovered.
The robbery took place on April 24 around 3 pm when armed assailants allegedly entered the bank, overpowered staff and looted nearly 4 kg of gold ornaments along with ₹4.22 lakh cash, police said.
The accused were arrested near Singhpur under Sarnath police station limits in Varanasi. Police identified them as Mohammad Afzal of Nawada in Bihar, alleged gang leader, Pankaj Singh alias Raunak Singh of Gorakhpur, and Saurabh Yadav alias Sonu of Mau.
Police said 912.22 grams of gold, ₹20 lakh cash, six mobile phones and an SUV allegedly used in the crime were recovered from them.
Investigators said the gang had allegedly planned the robbery for several weeks after surveying bank branches across Jharkhand and Bihar. They reportedly shortlisted branches located in isolated areas with minimal security arrangements and fewer staff members.
On the day of the robbery, some gang members allegedly entered the bank as customers and engaged employees in conversation. Soon after, other accomplices allegedly entered with firearms, assaulted a staff member and forced employees to gather near the cash counter.
Police said the accused allegedly seized employees’ mobile phones to prevent them from raising an alarm. They then allegedly cut the bank’s alarm system and forced an employee to open the strong room before escaping with cash and gold ornaments kept in lockers.
After the incident, an FIR was lodged at Barhi police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Arms Act. Jharkhand Police later sought assistance from UP STF after suspecting involvement of criminals linked to eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Using CCTV footage and intelligence inputs, STF teams traced the suspects to Varanasi and arrested them during a raid based on a tip-off.
Police said the gang is allegedly involved in several bank and gold loan robberies in West Bengal, Bihar and Uttarakhand.
According to investigators, Mohammad Afzal, earlier jailed in a murder case, allegedly formed the gang with associates he met in prison.
Police said the group mainly targeted gold stored in bank lockers and private finance firms instead of cash, carrying out surveillance for one to two months before executing robberies using stolen vehicles and illegal firearms.
Investigators also suspect the gang allegedly invested crime proceeds in real estate. Police said efforts are underway to trace other gang members linked to logistics and weapons supply, while Jharkhand Police continues further investigation.
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