Surat: The daylight robbery of Rs 50 lakh at the State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Varachha on April 27 was meticulously planned by gangsters operating from inside Patna’s Beur Jail. Investigators believe the gang deliberately chose the day following civic elections, anticipating that police forces would be preoccupied.The heist was masterminded by Kundan Bhagat, who, police say, has a history of orchestrating high-value robberies. He was also allegedly involved in the Rs 14 crore jewellery heist in Dehradun in 2023, which was executed when local police were engaged in security arrangements during President Droupadi Murmu’s visit.Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut told TOI, “The gang had been planning the robbery for two months. Bhagat sent seven operatives to Surat, where they initially rented a house in Jahangirpura with the help of a local contact. When neighbours grew suspicious, they shifted to another residence on Ved Road. All eight members conducted multiple reconnaissance visits to the bank over this period.”Officials added that the gang has a pattern of targeting locations when law enforcement is occupied with major events.So far, Shubham Thakur (24) and Vikas Singh (30), natives of Ayodhya and Gonda respectively, have been arrested. Thakur was directly involved in the robbery, while Singh assisted in providing shelter and facilitating money transfers post-crime. Thakur faces two murder cases and charges under the Arms Act in Bihar.The gang used stolen motorcycles to execute the robbery and later abandoned them in Olpad. From there, they travelled to the Himmatnagar bus depot and dispersed to various locations across Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, and other states. Police teams, comprising seven inspectors and around 100 personnel, have been deployed across these regions, though seven suspects, including Bhagat, remain at large.Bhagat gave nicknames to gang membersInvestigators uncovered unusual tactics used by Bhagat to conceal the identities of his operatives. He assigned aliases and nicknames to all members and arranged fake documents. Instead of sharing full photographs, he sent only partial images—typically showing the lower half of the body—to the Surat operative, who identified them at bus or railway stations based on colour of their trousers. Branch chosen due to dug-up roadsBhagat recruited gang members he met during his incarceration in different jails and assigned them roles in the operation. “The Varachha SBI branch was chosen because Metro Rail work had reduced public movement in the area. The road outside the bank was dug up and in poor condition, making it difficult for anyone to pursue the robbers during their escape,” Gahlaut said.Bhagat linked to AK-47 smugglingA native of Muzaffarpur, Kundan Bhagat has been linked to AK-47 smuggling, armed dacoity, murder, extortion, and robbery. After remaining absconding for two years, he was arrested by the Bihar Special Task Force from the Digha police station area in Patna in Nov 2025 for the Dehradun heist.
