Surat SBI robbery: Two UP men arrested, Bihar jail mastermind identified
The Surat Crime Branch has arrested two men from Uttar Pradesh in connection with the ₹50 lakh armed robbery at a State Bank of India (SBI) branch in the Varachha area, police confirmed on Wednesday, 7 May. Investigators have also identified a Bihar-based mastermind who allegedly coordinated the heist from inside prison.
How the Robbery Unfolded
The robbery took place on 27 April at approximately 1 pm at the SBI branch on L.H. Road, Varachha. According to police, a gang of five or more men, aged between 25 and 30, entered the bank posing as customers and spent time inside before producing pistols, threatening staff and customers, and holding them hostage.
Investigators said the accused assaulted those present, beating them with cables and threatening to kill them. The gang looted ₹12 lakh from the cash counter and an additional ₹38 lakh that had been delivered to the branch earlier — bringing the total to ₹50 lakh — along with several mobile phones belonging to employees and customers. They disabled the alarm system and seized phones to prevent anyone from raising an alert, before fleeing on motorcycles after spending nearly an hour inside the bank.
A case was registered at Varachha police station under Sections 310(2), 311 and 127(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 25(1)(A) of the Arms Act.
Meticulous Planning and Reconnaissance
Police said the gang had conducted extensive groundwork over approximately two months prior to the robbery. The accused had prepared fake Aadhaar cards and rented houses in Jahangir Pura, Rander-Ugat Canal Road, and Ved Road, from where they surveyed multiple banks and studied approach routes.
They had also entered the target SBI branch on earlier occasions, posing as customers to map staff positions and internal layouts. Surat Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot said,
