In a swift crackdown on one of Bengaluru’s boldest daylight robberies, city police have detained six suspects—including a serving constable—and reclaimed the lion’s share of the ₹7.11 crore looted from an ATM cash van. The recovery of ₹6.29 crore underscores the force’s rapid response, as authorities continue hunting for the remaining perpetrators.
The audacious theft unfolded on November 19, when a group masquerading as Reserve Bank of India (RBI) officers halted a CMS Info Systems Pvt Ltd cash van en route from a private bank branch in J.P. Nagar. Flashing a car bearing a Government of India sticker, the imposters demanded document checks, then bundled the van’s staff inside their vehicle alongside the cash haul. They abandoned the terrified employees near Dairy Circle before speeding off with the fortune.
Addressing the media, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh detailed the ensuing multi-agency pursuit, which mobilized over 200 officers across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, and Goa. “The arrests came within 54 hours, with key recoveries in under 60,” Singh noted, crediting a dedicated probe squad of 11 inspectors, two assistant commissioners, and six central crime branch specialists under his oversight. To honor their diligence, he pledged a ₹5 lakh reward to the team.
Among those in custody are constable Annappa Naik; J. Xavier, a ex-employee of CMS Info Systems; and Gopal Prasad, the firm’s fleet manager. Singh estimated the syndicate at six to eight members, split between planners, executors, and cash handlers. “This was no amateur job—meticulously orchestrated over three months, with route reconnaissance targeting blind spots sans CCTV,” he explained. The crew dodged detection by shunning mobile phones, switching vehicle plates repeatedly, and conversing in assorted languages to throw off pursuers.
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Challenges abounded: the notes weren’t serialized by the issuing bank, complicating traces, while early media disclosures, per police sources, briefly stymied initial inquiries. Yet, technical and on-ground clues pinpointed the suspects and getaway cars by the crime’s first day.
As the investigation presses on, Singh vowed to apprehend the absconders and secure the outstanding ₹82 lakh. This episode highlights vulnerabilities in cash transit logistics, even as Bengaluru’s law enforcers reclaim the upper hand in a high-stakes chase.
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