Bengaluru, Nov 19 (IANS) Commenting on the broad daylight robbery in Bengaluru, where a gang looted Rs 7.11 crore from a vehicle transporting cash for ATM filling, Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara said that leads have been obtained and the accused will be caught; they will not be allowed to escape.

Speaking to reporters at the Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday, he said that information regarding the deposit of money into ATMs had been provided to the accused.

He added, “Who is responsible for this? Who gave the information about depositing money into the ATM? We now have a lead on whether any of those depositing the money were involved. We are taking this case very seriously.”

He noted that such an incident had not occurred in Bengaluru in broad daylight. More than Rs 7 crore was stolen. The vehicle number and all other details have been obtained. Investigations are ongoing to determine whether the culprits are locals or from outside the state.

Regarding the case, he mentioned that some information has been obtained, but not all details can be shared publicly as it could hinder the investigation. He reiterated, “We will definitely catch them.”

It may be recalled that the major incident of robbery took place in broad daylight in Bengaluru, where a gang looted Rs 7.11 crore from a vehicle that was transporting cash for ATM refilling.

The Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh has issued instructions to place the city on high alert. Orders have been given to intensify vehicle checks, especially at the city borders, where barricades have been set up to prevent the accused from escaping Bengaluru.

Two additional police teams and DCP-level officers have been assigned to investigate the case. The police are also suspecting some CMS (Cash Management Services) staff.

The incident occurred near South End Circle, where staff members were preparing to load cash into an ATM. At that moment, a group of 7-8 men arrived in an Innova car and confronted the staff.

According to reports, the gang claimed to be officials from the RBI and intimidated the cash-handling team. They forced the gunman and other staff out of the vehicle.

The driver was allegedly taken towards Dairy Circle by the gang. The vehicle was then stopped on the Dairy Circle flyover, where the robbers transferred the cash into their Innova car and fled the scene.

The CMS staff are being questioned at the Siddapur Police Station.

There were four CMS employees in the vehicle — one driver, two gunmen, and one cash-loading staff member. A fingerprint team has arrived at the crime scene.

According to preliminary investigations, the CMS staff had parked their vehicle near the ATM to load cash. At that moment, a robbery gang arrived in an Innova car. They claimed to be from the RBI and said they needed to inspect the vehicle.

Except for the driver, they made all the other staff sit inside their Innova car. Two of the accused accompanied the driver in the CMS vehicle, while the remaining CMS staff were seated in the Innova. They were taken a short distance away and then made to get out of the car. On the Dairy Circle flyover, the gang shifted the cash from the CMS vehicle into the Innova car.

The gang used a fake number plate on the Innova car for the robbery. The number KA 03 NC 8052 was fitted onto the Innova. This number actually belongs to a Swift car from Kalyan Nagar, police said.

The staff of the cash refill vehicle reportedly informed the authorities late after the incident, raising doubts. Questions are being asked about why the gunmen present did not use their weapons. All these angles are being thoroughly investigated.

Currently, the driver, two gunmen, and the cash-deposit staff member are being interrogated at the Siddapur Police Station.

“We will arrest the accused at the earliest,” said City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh. There is information that the accused may have fled towards Hosakote via Domlur, Marathahalli, and Whitefield localities of Bengaluru.

The robbery was executed with a well-planned strategy on the busy Dairy Circle flyover. There is very little pedestrian movement here, and vehicles usually pass at high speed. Even if a vehicle stops, it doesn’t raise suspicion, police said.

Additionally, there are no CCTV cameras in this stretch. It is also difficult for a driver to escape from this location. Because of these factors, the accused deliberately chose the Dairy Circle flyover for the robbery. The police were informed 45 minutes to 1 hour after the incident occurred, the police said.

–IANS

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