Police have arrested and made public seven individuals involved in a bank robbery in Sindhuli.
An unidentified group robbed Rs 30.70 million from the SBI Bank branch located in Hayutar, Ghyanglekh Rural Municipality-2 on Tuesday. Regarding this robbery incident, the District Police Office, Sindhuli, arrested and made public seven persons on Friday.
Those arrested include Bhagwat Singh Thapa of Kavre, Chatu Man Bajyu of Sindhuli, Shashank Shrestha of Chitwan, Milan Giri of Nuwakot, Vivek Magar of Sindhuli, Chhabi Lal Syangten, and a minor. According to SP Lal Dhwoj Subedi, it has been revealed that among those involved, Syangten is the owner of the house the bank has rented.
The group entered the bank carrying khukuris and pistols at around 7:30 pm Tuesday evening. They had donned masks, and attacked the bank's security guard Rudra Bahadur Karki with a khukuri and injured him. Afterward, they entered the bank, put the money in sacks and bags, and fled toward the forest.
A police team upon arrival at the bank found employees and the security guard tied up in two rooms. The police rescued them and sent the injured guard to the hospital for treatment. Subsequently, more than 50 police personnel were deployed at the scene under the command of SP Subedi. After the news of the bank robbery spread throughout the village, villagers also assisted the police in searching for those involved in the robbery.
During the search operation that same evening, the police took a vehicle (BAD 0398) and its driver Bhagwat Singh Thapa into cus today just two kilometers away from the bank. During interrogation, it was revealed that six people had reserved the vehicle from Banepa to Sindhuli under the pretext of "eloping with a girl." While searching the forest, the police found Rs 18.105 rupees hidden in sacks and scattered at various places.
Similarly, on the morning of Wednesday, four individuals were taken into custody from Sukachuri, Ghyanglekh-1 along with Rs 509,675 rupees were recovered. During interrogation, they confessed their involvement. Police stated that an additional Rs 8.335 million they had hidden was also found. "Masks, gloves, and a fake plastic pistol were recovered," SP Subedi said. "Based on interrogations, statements, and analysis, the involvement of two main individuals was revealed."
Chatur Man Bajyu and Chhabi Lal Syangtan, the owner of the house the bank has rented, were arrested after that. Bajyu was found hiding in the vicinity of the forest. According to SP Subedi, the duo had planned the bank robbery back in September/October last year. They had been collecting information after making the plan. On January 7, they had even reached the SBI Bank after renting two motorcycles from Kathmandu to rob the bank. However, they told the police that the plan failed that day because the situation did not seem favorable.
Similarly, to make a second attempt, they gathered at Koteshwor, Kathmandu, on January 12. But they postponed the plan that day as it got late.
The next day, all four gathered and reached Banepa from Koteshwor by public transport. From Banepa, they reserved a vehicle saying they were eloping with a girl and reached Ghyanglekh in it. Police stated that homeowner Syangtan, was found to have provided weapons, exchanged information, and given instructions to rob the bank.
His brother-in-law Bajyu also played a major role in making the plan. Bajyu and Syangten's other friend, Shashank Shrestha, had gone to Hayutar to rob the bank after gathering their other friends.
After the bank closed in the evening, they entered, took the employees under control, robbed the money from the vault, and hid it in the forest. According to the Nepal SBI Branch Office Ghyanglekh, Rs 30.7 million was robbed from the bank that day. Out of that, Rs 26.855 have been recovered.
"We suspect there might be more individuals involved in this. We are still searching and investigating," SP Subedi said. "It is not yet clear why the homeowner planned the robbery. It has been revealed that he used to collect Rs 30,000-35,000 in monthly rent."
The District Court has granted permission to keep all seven arrested individuals in custody for five days for investigation.
