Bengaluru: Arrest of three accused in ₹7.11 crore robbery case, ₹5.76 crore recovered
Information from the Bengaluru City Police Commissioner
Bengaluru: Three accused involved in the robbery of ₹7.11 crore being transported for loading into ATM machines have been arrested by the Bengaluru South Division police.
Ravi, a supervisor with CMS Securities Custodian Vehicle, former employee Xavier, and Annappa Naik, a constable of Govindapura Police Station, have been arrested. An amount of ₹5.76 crore has been recovered from them. The arrests were made within 54 hours of the case being reported. According to the police, a total of six to eight people may have been involved in the crime. Search operations for the remaining accused are underway, Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said at a press conference today.
Three months of planning
The accused had been planning the robbery for the past three months and had identified the location for the crime about 15 days in advance. On 19 November, around 12:48 pm, they arrived in a car with a fake number plate along the Ashoka Pillar–Jayanagar–Dairy Circle route. They intercepted the custodian vehicle, claimed to be RBI regulatory officials, and forced the security staff and custodian staff to get down. Another accused then sat inside the custodian vehicle and instructed the driver to move towards Dairy Circle, the Commissioner said.
The accused then forced the security and custodian staff into their car, seized their mobile phones, and dropped them near NIMHANS before fleeing. By the time the police received reliable information on the incident, about an hour and a half had passed. The investigation was challenging as the accused avoided areas with CCTV cameras, did not use mobile phones, and the robbed currency notes were not in serial order, the Commissioner added.
Once information on the incident was received, SPs of border districts of Bengaluru and police officials of neighbouring states were alerted. Eleven teams comprising around 200 officers and staff, under the guidance of two Joint Commissioners and led by two DCPs, were deployed to Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. The three accused were subsequently arrested.
Cash reward announced
A total of ₹5.76 crore hidden in locations across the outskirts of Bengaluru and other areas has been recovered. Search operations for the remaining accused continue. A cash reward of ₹5 lakh has been announced for the investigation team, Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said.
Lapses on part of the security agency
As per RBI regulations, the cash-carrying vehicle must have a driver, two security personnel, and two custodian staff. The custodian vehicle must not repeatedly use the same route or schedule. Employees must be trained in cash-handling protocols, background checks must be conducted, and any employee dismissed by the custodian company must be reported to the police.
However, certain lapses have been found on the part of CMS Securities. A report will be sent to the Reserve Bank of India, the Commissioner added.
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Elderly woman killed, robbed on outskirts of Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): A 69-year-old woman was allegedly murdered and robbed of her gold ornaments at her residence on the city’s outskirts while her paralysed husband was present, police said Thursday.
The incident occurred on Pete Street in Nelamangala, where Shobha lived with her husband, who is paralysed and bedridden, police said.
For the past decade, she had been the sole caregiver for her husband. The couple had no children and lived a secluded life, according to police.
A video from the scene showed the woman lying in a pool of blood, with her husband beside her on the same bed, they said.
The accused, Shivakumar, a wholesale shop owner who has been arrested in the case, allegedly targeted her to clear a debt of Rs 8 lakh, police said.
The crime came to light on Wednesday evening when her husband’s physiotherapist arrived for a scheduled session. Upon finding Shobha’s lifeless body in a pool of blood, the doctor immediately alerted the local authorities, police officials said.
According to police, at approximately 4 pm on the day of the incident, the accused, Shivakumar, a resident of the same locality, noticed Shobha wearing gold jewellery. He allegedly followed her to her residence with a premeditated plan.
Shivakumar entered the house under the guise of being thirsty, asking Shobha for a glass of water. Once inside, and believing she was alone, he attacked her. When Shobha attempted to resist, the accused allegedly slit her throat, a senior police officer said.
After the murder, Shivakumar fled the scene with more than 100 grams of gold jewellery worn by the victim, police said.
By analysing CCTV footage from the surrounding area, police identified Shivakumar and tracked him down, they added.
