PUNE: A dismissed police sub-inspector (PSI), whose career in the Maharashtra Police ended in 2023 after he was named an accused in a bank robbery and an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) case, allegedly used his familiarity with police procedures and criminal networks to mastermind Saturday’s daylight robbery at a State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Jalgaon’s Bhokar village.
The alleged mastermind and three accomplices were arrested the same day, within a few hours of the act, with police recovering the cash and around 27 kg of gold ornaments, together worth a total of ₹ 36.48 crore. The robbery was executed on October 31 between 2:45 pm and 3:15 pm. When security guard Sandeep Koli attempted to resist, the accused allegedly fired at him before fleeing in two bikes with ₹ 12.26 lakh in cash and approximately 27 kg of gold ornaments stored in 16 lockers. The gold was valued at ₹ 36.36 crore, taking the total value of the stolen property to ₹ 36.48 crore.
Four men wearing helmets and face coverings entered the bank armed with two pistols, knives and wooden sticks. They threatened the bank manager, cashier and other employees, forced them to open the lockers, and allegedly tied their hands and covered their mouths. However, their escape was cut short after the bank’s emergency alarm alerted people in the area. Villagers and local police patils joined the pursuit and alerted the police as the accused fled towards Dharangaon. During the chase, the accused allegedly discarded four bags containing stolen valuables near Chavalkheda. Police teams, assisted by villagers, tracked down the suspects. Two were found hiding in a field, while the others were intercepted. Police arrested all four after resistance, during which some personnel sustained minor injuries. Using firearms and other weapons, they threatened bank staff, tied their hands and mouths, and escaped with cash and gold. Following the emergency alarm, villagers and police patils chased them down and helped arrest them. Police recovered all nine bags and the stolen valuables. We immediately alerted police patils and villagers, and with their help, arrested all the accused. They resisted arrest, and some members of our team sustained minor injuries. From PSI to robber
Shrikant Dhivare, superintendent of police, Jalgaon, said, “Four accused wearing helmets entered the bank. Umakant Gaikwad, inspector at Dharangaon police station, who was part of the team that arrested the accused, said, “When we received information about the incident, two of the accused were heading towards Dharangaon.
Taking serious note of his alleged involvement, then Special Inspector General of Police Praveen Pawar dismissed him from service that year. His father and brother-in-law, who worked as a security guard at the same bank, were also named as accused in the case. Police suspect that Jasak’s familiarity with police procedures, investigation methods and legal processes, gained during his years in the force, may have helped him plan the latest robbery by anticipating the police line of action. Three of the suspects had reportedly become acquainted in jail and remained in contact after their release. They allegedly planned the robbery before bringing a fourth person into the operation. The group allegedly conducted reconnaissance of SBI branches twice before selecting the Bhokar branch. Police are now examining the individual roles of the four accused. Police seized the two vehicles, the firearms and other weapons allegedly used in the crime. Guardian Minister of Jalgaon district, Gulabrao Patil, visited the bank and reviewed the security situation.
The alleged mastermind, Shankar Ramesh Jasak, 42, was appointed as a PSI in the 113th batch of the Maharashtra Police in 2015 and posted to the Raigad district police force. However, his career came under a cloud in December 2018, when a case was registered against him following an ACB trap in Mahad. His troubles continued into 2023 when he was named an accused in a ₹ 3.17-crore robbery at an SBI branch in Jalgaon city, registered at Shani Peth police station under sections 394 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Jasak allegedly planned the heist with Gajanan Rajendra Pawar, 32, whom he had met while lodged in Jalgaon district prison, according to investigators. Pawar had been arrested in a murder case in 2024 and was subsequently released on bail. The other two accused were identified as Ankush Tulsiram Pawar, 26, from Burhanpur district in Madhya Pradesh, and Ankush Shravan Chavan, 30, from Ramdevwadi in Jalgaon district. A case was registered at Jalgaon Taluka police station under sections 309(4), 109(1), 127(2), 115(2), 351(2), 351(3), 352 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and sections 3/25 and 3/27 of the Arms Act.
Due to existing drought-like conditions, the police must closely watch all financial institutions.”
He was subsequently suspended, but later reinstated by senior police officers and posted at the Raigad district police control room, according to Jalgaon police. Patil said, “Involving local people in policing helped the Jalgaon police arrest the accused and recover the cash and other valuables within few hours.
