Pune, Nov. 2 -- A Maharashtra Police sub-inspector who was dismissed from the force and jailed in 2023 for orchestrating a robbery at a State Bank of India branch in Jalgaon used his knowledge of the police's operations and put together a network of criminal associates while in prison to carry out a sensational Rs.36.48-crore armed robbery at another of the bank's branch in the same district on Saturday, investigators aware of the matter said on Sunday. Saturday's robbery took place in Bhokar village between 2.45pm and 3.15pm, when four men - one of whom was the mastermind, Shankar Ramesh Jasak - 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 tied their hands and covered their mouths. When the security guard attempted to intervene, the suspects allegedly fired at him and fled with Rs.12.26 lakh cash and approximately 27kg of gold ornaments worth Rs.36.36 crore stored in 16 lockers. But the 42-year-old former sub-inspector's plans unravelled rapidly after an emergency alarm set off a hot pursuit that featured local officers and village residents. The four were arrested about two hours later and police recovered all of the cash and gold, along with firearms, weapons and two vehicles allegedly used in the crime. Investigators believe Jasak's years in the police force, followed by his encounters with the criminal justice system, gave him the knowledge and contacts to orchestrate the robbery. Three of the four suspects reportedly met in Jalgaon district prison and stayed in touch after their release. They allegedly planned the heist before recruiting a fourth accomplice. Jasak's own career in the Maharashtra Police ended in 2023 after he was named an accused in another robbery at an SBI branch in Jalgaon city. The Rs.3.17-crore robbery case was registered at Shani Peth police station under sections 394 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code. His father and brother-in-law, who worked as a security guard at the same bank, were also named as accused. Taking serious note of his alleged involvement, then special inspector general of police Praveen Pawar dismissed him from service. Jalgaon police said Jasak joined the Maharashtra Police as a PSI in the 113th batch in 2015 and was posted to the Raigad district police force. His career first came under a cloud on December 27, 2018, when an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) case was registered against him following a trap operation in Mahad. He was suspended but subsequently reinstated by senior officers and posted at the Raigad district police control room. Investigators said Jasak allegedly planned the latest robbery with Gajanan Rajendra Pawar, 32, whom he met in prison. Pawar was arrested for murder in 2024 and out on bail. The gang allegedly conducted a reconnaissance of the SBI branch twice. "Once the emergency alarm went off, villagers and police patils chased them down and helped arrest them. Police recovered all nine bags and the stolen valuables," said Shrikant Dhivare, superintendent of police, Jalgaon. Police teams, assisted by villagers, tracked down the four men. Two were found hiding in a field, while the others were intercepted. All four were arrested after allegedly resisting the police, leaving some personnel with minor injuries. During the chase, the accused allegedly abandoned four bags containing stolen valuables near Chavalkheda. Umakant Gaikwad, police inspector at Dharangaon police station, who was part of the team pursuing the accused, said, "When we received information about the incident, two of the accused were heading towards Dharangaon. 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." The other two accused have been identified as Ankush Tulsiram Pawar, 26, from Burhanpur district in Madhya Pradesh, and Ankush Shravan Chavan, 30, from Ramdevwadi in Jalgaon district. Jalgaon district guardian minister Gulabrao Patil visited the bank after the robbery and reviewed the situation. He credited the swift response of villagers and the police for the recovery of valuables worth more than Rs.30 crore. "This is a very serious case of bank robbery. But due to alert local people and the police force, all the accused were arrested and all the cash and belongings were successfully recovered. Due to the involvement of local people in policing, we have successfully recovered belongings worth over Rs.30 crore," Patil said. "Due to drought-like conditions, the police now have to keep watch on financial institutions like banks," he added. A case has been 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 and sections 3/25 and 3/27 of the Arms Act....