Mangalore City Police Crack Kotekar Co-operative Bank Dacoity, Arrest Four Suspects

In a major breakthrough, City Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal addressed a press meet on January 27, announcing the arrest of four individuals involved in the daring dacoity at Kotekar Co-operative Bank. The arrested criminals include Murugandi Thevar (36), a notorious criminal, his father Shanmugasundaram, Yosovo Rajendran (35), and Kannan Mani (36). During the investigation, the accused revealed the name of Shashi Thevar, a local resident, whose role in the heist is now under investigation. The police have successfully recovered 2 kg of gold from three of the accused and discovered an additional 16 kg of gold in the house of Shanmugasundaram. A total of Rs 3.8 lakh has also been recovered out of the Rs 11 lakh stolen from the bank.

The police further revealed that the gang members first connected in Taloja prison in 2016 and began plotting the robbery six months ago. The main suspect, Murugandi, had visited Mangaluru three times to study the bank’s location, including its entry and exit points. The heist, which took place on a Friday to coincide with local prayers, involved careful planning. The criminals used a Fiat car with changing number plates, first using a fake Maharashtra registration and then a fake Karnataka one near Suratkal. After executing the robbery, the group split up, with three fleeing to Kerala by car and the others traveling by train. In total, police recovered 18.314 kg of gold, Rs 3.8 lakh in cash, two pistols, and the stolen Fiat car. The police plan to meet with bank officials next week to discuss enhanced security measures to prevent such crimes in the future.