In a shocking turn of events, the District Police Office, Sindhuli, has revealed that the owner of the building housing the SBI Bank branch in Hayutar was the mastermind behind the recent heist.
Police on Friday paraded seven suspects, including the house owner, Chhabilal Syangtan, 44, and his primary accomplice, Chaturman Bajyu, 47.
Syangtan was apprehended from a nearby forest after a massive manhunt. On the night of January 13, a gang stormed the bank at 7:30 pm. They neutralized the security guard, Rudra Bahadur Karki, and bank staff by tying them up, taping their mouths, and attacking them with khukuris.
The robbers forced the branch manager at gunpoint—using a fake pistol—to open the vault. Following a rapid response involving 50 police personnel, authorities have successfully recovered Rs 26.85 million out of the total stolen amount of approximately NPR 30.7 million.
Items seized by police
Two khukuris, a plastic toy pistol, tape, four masks, and gloves, A Tata Sumo, Ba Dha 0398, have been recovered.
Investigation reveals that Syangtan and Bajyu had been plotting the robbery since the Nepali month. This was reportedly their third attempt at robbing the branch. On January 7, four members arrived on rented motorcycles from Kathmandu but aborted the plan due to unfavorable conditions.
A plan on January 12 failed due to logistical delays. On January 13, they traveled from Banepa in a reserved Tata Sumo to execute the robbery. The suspects include individuals from Kavre, Nuwakot, Bharatpur, and Sindhuli, ranging from 16 to 49 years old.
The Tata Sumo driver, Bhagwat Singh Thapa, was the first to be detained after police found his vehicle parked suspiciously 2 km from the crime scene.
His confession led to the discovery of cash sacks hidden in the forest and the eventual arrest of the others. The Sindhuli District Court has remanded the suspects to five days in custody for further investigation into organized crime and robbery.
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