Hyderabad, June 25 (IANS) Hyderabad police have arrested the driver of an ATM cash van and his two sons for the theft of Rs 17 lakh from the cash replenishment vehicle two days ago.

Chirra Srinivas, who made away with the money from the van near the SBI ATM in the Edi Bazar area on June 23, has been arrested along with Chirra Anish and Chirra Jaswanth, who work as delivery boys for Swiggy, police said.

The Commissioner’s Task Force, Charminar Zone Team, and IS Sadan Police arrested the accused on Thursday and recovered a net cash of Rs 14.55 lakh, a motorbike used for the commission of the offence, and four mobile phones.

Khare Kiran Prabhakar, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Charminar Zone, announced the breakthrough at a press conference on Thursday.

Police had received a complaint on June 23 from Bantupalli Suresh, Cash Custodian at Cleared Security Services Pvt Ltd, stating that his driver, Chirra Srinivas, had escaped with Rs 17 lakh in cash, which was meant to be loaded into the SBI ATM at Edi Bazar.

A case under section 303(3) of the BNS was registered at the IS Sadan police station.

Police scanned the CCTV footage and found that driver Srinivas took the cash bag and fled on a bike with another person. The other person who drove the two-wheeler was identified as his son, Anish.

According to police, due to financial difficulties, Srinivas hatched a plan to commit the theft of cash from his workplace. He discussed the plan with his sons.

On June 23, Srinivas went to work on the cash-filling vehicle and instructed Anish to come to the SBI ATM at Edi Bazar. While other employees were busy filling the ATM with cash, Srinivas took the cash bag from the vehicle and went to a nearby lane, where he was picked up by Anish, and they sped away.

Later, they met Jaswanth in Peerzadiguda, and Srinivas gave him Rs 10 lakh from the stolen cash. Srinivas and Anish kept the remaining cash with them and roamed around, spending some of it.

The DCP said that on the basis of a tip-off, police arrested Srinivas and Anish at Bownepally. They committed the offence, and on the basis of the information they provided, the police arrested the other accused, Jaswanth, at Peerzadiguda.

–IANS

ms/dan