Police in Nagpur, Maharashtra, arrested a 28-year-old man shortly after an alleged cash robbery targeting State Bank of India employees, an incident in which the attacker used chili powder to disorient staff before taking a bag containing ₹4.53 lakh.

The incident occurred on Thursday evening in the Bhande Plot area under Sakkardara police jurisdiction. CCTV footage circulated after the robbery shows a man with his face partly covered approaching bank staff, throwing a red powder toward them and then fleeing with cash.

Reports agree on the attack but differ on the exact location of the cash

Multiple news organizations reported the same core sequence, but their descriptions of exactly where the money was being handled are not identical. India Today and UNI described the suspect as entering the SBI branch and taking cash after attacking employees. Local reports from the Times of India and Loksatta instead said staff were moving cash in the branch and ATM area when the attack occurred.

The Times of India reported that officers and employees had withdrawn cash from an ATM and were returning toward the branch at about 5:30 p.m. Loksatta reported that staff were carrying money to the adjoining ATM after regular banking hours. Because those accounts differ on the precise movement of the cash, Deep Gore Tube is describing the incident more broadly as an attack on SBI staff in the branch and ATM area rather than presenting one version as settled fact.

CCTV captures the chili-powder attack and escape

The surveillance footage shows the suspect moving close to bank personnel before throwing powder toward their faces. As employees react, the man grabs the cash and runs from the scene. The recording became a central piece of evidence and was later widely shared online.

Suspect caught shortly afterward and cash recovered

According to police accounts carried by the Times of India, employees raised an alarm and chased the fleeing man. Beat marshals and personnel from a Detection of Crime team reportedly noticed the commotion and joined the pursuit. The suspect was caught a short distance away with the cash.

The arrested man was identified in multiple reports as Suraj Borkar, 28, a resident of Tatoli in Bhivapur tehsil in rural Nagpur. Police said the entire ₹4.53 lakh was recovered. India Today described the arrest as occurring within roughly half an hour, while local reports characterized the capture as happening within minutes of the attack.

Loksatta reported that investigators were examining whether the suspect had previously observed when employees handled cash for the ATM, raising the possibility that the robbery was planned around a known cash-movement routine. Police were also reported to be checking whether anyone else helped plan or carry out the crime.

No firearm was reported in the robbery

Unlike many bank-robbery cases involving a weapon or explicit threat of gunfire, the reports reviewed in this case describe chili powder as the means used to incapacitate or distract the employees. UNI reported that the suspect was masked and dressed in a kurta, while CCTV images show his face covered with a light-colored cloth.

The available reports do not establish a final motive beyond the alleged theft, and the investigation remained open as police examined CCTV, the suspect’s movements and the possibility of prior reconnaissance or accomplices.

ARTICLE CREDIT: News story written by Kat News.

Sources / Further reading:

India Today: https://www.indiatoday.in/trending-news/story/nagpur-man-throws-chilli-powder-into-sbi-staffs-eyes-escapes-with-rs-4-lakh-2992451-2026-09-11

Times of India: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/cops-nab-robber-after-chilli-powder-attack-on-bank-employee/articleshow/134026610.cms

Loksatta: https://www.loksatta.com/nagpur/nagpur-sakkardara-atm-robbery-chili-powder-attack-suraj-borkar-arrest-rak-94-6131975/

UNI India: https://www.uniindia.com/west-india/crime-bank-robbery/176488