Scripting a brilliant story of investigation, a team of the district police has cracked the sensational cooperative bank heist at Chandranagar near here on July 25.
The team led by DySP P. Sasikumar arrested Nikhil Ashok Joshi, alias Paresh, 51, from Satara in Maharashtra. Paresh was found leading a luxury life at his homeland after burgling seven-and-a-half kg gold and cash of over ₹3 crore. The police team zeroed in on him after examining over 120 surveillance camera footage, hundreds of phone calls, and vehicle movements.
Paresh broke into the Marutharoad Cooperative Rural Credit Society Bank at Chandranagar on July 24 night and made away with gold and cash by the dawn of July 25. The bank staff noticed the heist when they came to open the bank on July 26 after two holidays.
Paresh had destroyed the alarm and surveillance cameras. He also took away the CCTV hard disk. He had broken into the bank after disconnecting the power supply. He had used a battery-operated driller and hydraulic cutter.
The heist posed a huge challenge for the police as the burglar had left virtually no piece of evidence. The investigators first determined the exact time of the heist by decoding a micro chip within the electricity meter. Paresh was found to have entered the bank between 9.30 p.m. and 10 p.m. and snapped the internet connection.
Then the police focussed on surveillance camera footage, phone calls, and vehicle movements made on July 24 night. A Maharashtra-registered car and the vague image of a man found in different CCTV footage provided the vital clue.
Searches were conducted in hotels in Palakkad, Coimbatore, Thrissur, and Malappuram districts. The police could reach the culprit by following that car and the image. Paresh reportedly admitted the crime and said he had sold off the gold at Satara.
The police said he stayed in Kerala for about a month planning and executing the burglary. His internet search history found that he had selected only cooperative banks with minimal security and had checked on cooperative banks at Nallepilly, Chittur, Puthunagaram, Koduvayur, Alathur, Vadakkanchery, Kottekkad, Attassery, and Mannarkkad.
Paresh reached the Chandranagar bank demanding change for ₹2,000 a few days before the burglary and studied the interior. The police said he behaved like a professional and displayed great patience in executing the heist.
He was wanted in connection with several cases in Maharashtra and Goa. He used to spend the loot for luxury life in star hotels and parties with friends. He had also headed a five-member terror gang titled Supari Killers in Goa. He reportedly told the police that he learnt new burglary skills from the Internet.
