In a dramatic breakthrough, the Surat Crime Branch has exposed a high-tech criminal network behind the sensational Rs 50-lakh robbery in Varachha, allegedly directed from inside Bihar's Adarsh Central Jail, Beur.

Mastermind Kundan Kumar alias Kundan Bhagat, currently lodged in Patna, is accused of orchestrating the heist through a mobile application, issuing precise instructions to his gang.

The April 27 robbery was timed to coincide with the Surat Municipal Corporation elections, exploiting reduced police presence. The gang surveyed nearly 10 banks before selecting the SBI branch in Varachha, where metro work had slowed activity. Members rented houses in Jahangirpura and Ved Road using forged IDs from Madhya Pradesh.

Investigators revealed the gang operated under multiple aliases, with members unfamiliar to each other beyond partial facial images. On the day of the crime, they entered the bank early posing as customers, photographing staff and conducting reconnaissance. Though equipped to loot Rs 2-3 crore with five large bags, they fled with Rs 50 lakh. Three getaway bikes were later abandoned near Kim village before the gang dispersed across states.