Rs 2-crore robbed from bank vehicle

Bangalore, May 15: Armed men took away Rs 1.91 crore in cash from a car carrying it for replenishing an ATM at RT Nagar here on Monday morning.

Three persons sustained minor injuries in the event.

The high drama unfurled in filmy style near the BDA complex, barely 500 metres away from RT Nagar police station. The money belonging to Corporation Bank was being transported in a private cab and not in a vehicle that belongs to the CMS Security Agency (CMSSA) that was assigned to transport the money.

Venkatesh of the car travel agency, Somanna Shetty, a Centaurs Security Agency (CSA) guard and Naveen Chandra and Anand Kumar, both from the CMSSA, filled cash at the ATM centre in Cox Town and then at the Corporation Bank ATM near BDA complex in RT Nagar, before heading for another ATM in the area.

Around 10:30 am, an SUV drove past the cab near Taralabalu Ashram and blocked the road, according to the police. Within seconds, another car rammed into the bank vehicle from behind. Masked men suspected to be in the age group of 25-30 years rushed out of the two cars, brandishing lethal weapons.

One of them wielded an air gun. They directed the four men in the car to get out of the cab. They snatched away a single barrel rifle which Shetty held, smashed the glass windows, took away the cash boxes — a total of 12, and drove off in their two cars. Except Anand Kumar, the three sustained minor injuries.

Diwakar, an eye witness to the incident, told Deccan Herald: “I noticed that the road was blocked for some time. A car was jammed between two other cars. I thought it was an accident and went near it. I was shocked to see some youths wearing masks and one of them holding a gun. They all seemed to be local youths considering their body language and accent. Within seconds, they fled in the cars with boxes.”

Another eye witness, Prem, said the suspects threatened him with weapons when he tried to take a closer look. He called up the control room soon after they fled.

Soon, the RT Nagar police rushed to the spot and alerted their counterparts in the City to keep an eye on the two vehicles. The cars appeared to be stolen, and had fake number plates, they suspect.

Soon, another drama ensued on Devanahalli road, when traffic policemen stopped a car on suspicion. They alerted their superiors that they had apprehended the getaway car, wrongly, as it turned out.

The CMS, which has branches across the country, deals with several banks in the City in filling cash into the Automated Teller Machines. It has inked different agreements with banks including transporting the money once or for a particular period of time.

The agency has an agreement with Corporation Bank as well. The agency operates its own vehicles that are secured by armed guards. The vehicles travel to different ATMs, fill in cash and return. The agency had employed Centaurus Security Agency to escort the cash carriers on Monday.

It is learnt that the CSA staff had decided to transport the cash in a private cab, much against the norms.

Two teams have been constituted to trace the suspects.