Ex-cop accused in 2023 bank robbery arrested after Rs 36 crore heist in Maharashtra

The accused threatened the bank manager and cashier with a pistol and forced them to open around 16 lockers. They then packed the valuables into five to six bags and fled.

In Short

• Police have recovered 26 kg of gold and Rs 12.26 lakh in cash
• Four people have been arrested after the robbery attempt was foiled
• The accused ex-cop was also linked to a 2023 bank robbery case

An attempted robbery at a State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Maharashtra's Jalgaon was foiled after a security guard raised an alarm around midnight on October 31. Police arrested four people and recovered around 26 kg of gold, Rs 12.26 lakh in cash and two vehicles, with the seized property valued at Rs 36.48 crore.

A dismissed police sub-inspector, Shankar Jasak, who was involved in a Rs 3.17-crore bank robbery in the same district in 2023, has been identified as the suspected mastermind behind the latest heist. A senior police officer said Jasak was arrested in connection with the earlier case and subsequently dismissed from service.

According to the investigation, Jasak came in contact with Gajanan Rajendra Pawar while the two were in jail. Pawar was lodged in connection with the 2024 murder of his girlfriend's husband in the Chalisgaon area. Both men were released on bail a few months ago.

On the day of the robbery, Jasak, Pawar and two other associates arrived at the bank on two motorcycles. One of the accused was carrying a pistol and fired a blank shot towards the ground before the group entered the SBI branch.

The accused threatened the bank manager and cashier with the pistol and forced them to open around 16 lockers. They then packed the valuables into five to six bags and fled. Police said the accused remained inside the bank for around 40 to 45 minutes, creating panic among the employees.

VILLAGERS HELP POLICE TRACK DOWN ACCUSED

After leaving the bank, the accused fled towards Dharangaon city. Villagers from Jalgaon began chasing them, following which the police alerted teams across the district.

During the pursuit, police received information that the accused had abandoned four bags along the roadside near Chawalkheda. Police Inspector Umakant Gaikwad reached the area with his team and began a search operation. The police also sought information from villagers about the direction in which the suspects had fled.

The police eventually tracked down and arrested Jasak and Pawar from a field in the Chawalkheda area. Two other accused were also arrested, taking the total number of arrests to four.

The investigation is now focused on establishing the precise role of the four arrested men, identifying any other people involved in the planning and determining whether they had additional accomplices.

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