Armed trio loots 15 kg gold from MP bank in 8-minute heist

The incident took place at around 9 am as the bank opened for business.

Three armed men on Monday morning stormed into the ESAF Small Finance Bank and fled with gold and cash worth several crores in less than eight minutes, The Indian Express reported.

According to the police, the robbers decamped with 14.8 kg of gold, valued at around Rs 14.5 crore, along with Rs 5.7 lakh in cash, as per a Deccan Chronicle report. The incident took place at around 9 am as the bank opened for business.

The branch, located about 45–50 kilometres from Jabalpur district headquarters, had just begun its daily operations when the motorcycle-borne trio executed their plan with precision. According to officials, the robbers entered the bank one after another through an open, unguarded entrance. Once inside, they pulled out country-made pistols and pointed them at the six staff members present. They warned that anyone who raised an alarm or called the police would be shot.

VIDEO | Madhya Pradesh: Police intensify security across the district after Monday's bank robbery in Jabalpur. CCTV visuals show robbers fleeing with 14.8 kg of gold worth over Rs 14 crore and Rs 5 lakh cash in under 20 minutes from ESAF Small Finance Bank. (Source: Third Party)… pic.twitter.com/8k4KUVv1Kl

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Despite activating the bank’s alarm system, the manager was forced to comply with the robbers’ demands, granting them access to the gold storage. The assailants promptly collected 14.8 kg of pledged gold ornaments along with Rs 5.7 lakh in cash. Within eight minutes, by 9.08 am, they were gone, escaping on their motorcycles before help could arrive.

Additional SP Suryakant Sharma highlighted the branch’s security lapses, noting that there was no security guard on duty, no channel gate, and the main door had been left open. “There was no security guard at the bank. The entry gate was left open, and there were no channel gates. When they entered the bank, there was no one to stop them,” The Indian Express quoted Sharma as saying.

Following the robbery, Superintendent of Police Sampat Upadhyay reached the spot with fingerprint experts and other investigative teams. CCTV footage from the bank and nearby areas is now under review. Police have sealed all entry and exit points of the town and the district in an attempt to track down the culprits and recover the stolen gold and cash.