Kotekar bank heist: ‘Mastermind’, one more arrested

Kotekar bank heist: ‘Mastermind’, one more arrested

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, February 26, 2025: The Mangaluru city police have arrested two more persons, including the alleged mastermind, in connection with the heist at the Kotekar Vyavasaya Seva Sahakari Sangh’s Talapady Branch, at Kotekar near Ullal, this January.

The police gave names of the accused as Bhaskar Belchapada alias Shashi Thevar, 69, a native of Kanyana in Bantwal taluk of Dakhina Kannada and Mohammed Nazir, 65, from K.C. Road Talapady in Ullal taluk of Dakhina Kannada.

In a statement, Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal said Bhaskar Belchapada left Kanyana two decades ago and had settled in Mumbai. He was in touch with Mohammed Nazir for the past seven years. The two joined the other accused in planning and doing the heist for the past six months.

Mr. Agrawal said Belchapada was taken into custody on February 24 from a railway station in Bengaluru. On questioning, Belchapada revealed how he and Nazir were involved in the heist.

The officer said Belchapada and Nazir showed the location of the cooperative bank to other accused. Investigation revealed that the two were involved in deciding the date and time of carrying out the heist, giving information about personnel in the bank and showing the escape routes for the other accused persons. After gathering technical evidence, the police arrested Belchapada and Nazir; the latter was arrested on February 25.

Police investigation revealed that Belchapada was involved in planning of dacoity, robbery and other crimes across the country.

He is accused in an attempt to dacoity case in Delhi in 2011 and a case under Indian Arms Act was registered by the Mumbai Crime Branch of CID in 2021.

He is also an accused in a case of extortion registered in Konaje police station and a dacoity attempt case of Ullal police station. Both these cases were of 2022 and were in Mangaluru city police limits, Mr. Agrawal stated.

Four masked armed men looted the branch of 18.6 kg gold and ₹ 11.67 lakh in cash on January 17. The police have so far arrested a total of six persons, including the two, and recovered 18.31 kg gold, ₹3.8 lakh in cash, two pistols, two machetes, and a car from them.