Saturday, Apr 27, 2024 | Last Update : 06:36 AM IST
Cash van driver dupes guard, flees with Rs 22 crore
A driver of a bank cash van escaped with Rs 22 crore, meant to be deposited in the bank, on Thursday afternoon in southeast Delhi’s Govindpuri area.
A driver of a bank cash van escaped with Rs 22 crore, meant to be deposited in the bank, on Thursday afternoon in southeast Delhi’s Govindpuri area. The van, belonging to a private security firm, was later found abandoned near Govindpuri Metro station by the police.
The police received a call from security guard Vinay Patel at about 1 pm on Thursday that the driver of the cash van, identified as Pradeep Shukla, in which they were going to Okhla branch of Axis Bank had fled with the cash. “He told us that at Govindpuri he asked Pradeep to stop the car as he wanted to urinate,” said a senior police officer, adding, “However, the driver, on the pretext of taking a U-turn, fled with the vehicle and the cash, leaving Vinay behind.”
“After waiting for the driver at the spot for about half-an-hour, Vinay made the PCR call,” the police said.
Pradeep and Vinay had left Vikaspuri with cash of about Rs 22 crore to be deposited at the Okhla branch of the bank. Three other cash vans had left from Vikaspuri at the same time, all of which reached their destination on time.
Investigating officials said that when they checked the van’s location using GPS, it was found to be at Govindpuri Metro station. “A team was rushed there and the car was found parked nearby. However, the box in which the money was kept was missing,” said the investigating officials, adding, “A case under relevant sections has been filed at the Govindpuri police station and further investigations are on.”
Senior police officers said that they are questioning Vinay in connection with the incident. “There seems to be an insider involvement in the incident,” said the senior police officer, adding, “The bank officials claimed that there was Rs 22 crore in the van. They have even shown us a receipt of Rs10 crore which was generated before leaving from Vikaspuri.”
The cops said that they have put the driver’s phone under scrutiny and have raided his residence besides checking CCTV footage of the area around Govindpuri Metro station.
