By The News Observer Desk,
Karwar: In a bold yet unsuccessful midnight-style burglary attempt, unidentified thieves targeted the Bank of Baroda branch in the quiet village of Sunksal, Ankola taluk, by drilling through the wall of the rear toilet to gain entry.
The robbers meticulously bored a hole in the toilet wall adjacent to National Highway-63 (formerly NH-52), entered the premises under cover of darkness, and then attempted to breach the strong room wall. However, their sophisticated plan collapsed when they failed to break through the reinforced strong room barrier, forcing them to flee without looting any cash or valuables.
https://youtu.be/53pqQ80yJN4
The incident, discovered early today, has sent shockwaves through the local community and left bank staff and residents on high alert in this otherwise peaceful rural stretch of Uttara Kannada district.
Senior police officials, including Ankola CPI Chandrashekhar Mathapati and a team of investigators, rushed to the scene immediately upon receiving information. Over 15 police personnel have been deployed at the location, along with forensic experts and sniffer dog squads, to comb the area for clues.
Intensive scrutiny of CCTV footage from surrounding cameras is underway, even as authorities note that the perpetrators cleverly chose the toilet area — apparently a blind spot in the bank's surveillance coverage.
Uttara Kannada Superintendent of Police Deepan M.N. also visited the site to oversee the investigation. A formal case has been registered at Ankola Police Station, and a thorough probe is ongoing to identify and apprehend the culprits.
This failed attempt highlights both the audacity of modern-day burglars and the robust security features of bank strong rooms that ultimately thwarted the crime.
Here are some visuals of typical Bank of Baroda rural branches and police investigation scenes at similar incidents across India.
Reporting and Videography by Saikiran Babrekar and Nagaraj Jamblekar
