KATHMANDU: Seven people have been arrested in connection with the robbery of Rs 3,10,95,283 from the Nepal SBI Bank branch in Bastipur, Sindhuli Ghyanglekh Rural Municipality-2. The arrests were made on Tuesday evening, three days after the heist, according to Sindhuli Police Chief, Superintendent of Police Lal Dhwaj Subedi.

Those detained include Bhagwatsingh Thapa, 49, from Banepa Municipality-10; Chaturman Bajyu, 47, and Chhabilal Syangtan, 44, from Ghyanglekh-2; Shashank Shrestha, 24, from Bharatpur Metropolitan City-2, Chitwan; Milan Gari, 23, and Vivek Magar, 19, from Panchakanya Rural Municipality-5, Nuwakot; along with one 16-year-old minor.

Police have recovered Rs 2,68,55,175 from the stolen amount. Items seized from the suspects include a plastic pistol, two kukris, and four masks.

The robbery was reportedly planned by Chhabilal Syangtan and Chaturman Bajyu, the owners of the house where the bank was rented. Syangtan was arrested on 15 Jan near the forests of Ghyanglekh-1, while Bajyu was arrested on the day of the robbery.

On the night of the robbery, police also detained the Tata Sumo vehicle (registration BEd 0398) and its driver Thapa, which had been rented by six people from Kavre under the pretext of a wedding but was used in the robbery.

According to SP Subedi, four of the arrested had traveled from Kathmandu to Sindhuli on two motorcycles as part of the robbery plan. The plan was initially formulated in Ashwin 2082 BS but delayed due to unfavorable conditions. They reconvened on 12 Jan in Koteshwor to finalize the plan and on 13 Jan, traveled via public transport to Banepa, where they rented the Tata Sumo and carried out the heist in Sindhuli.