Bengaluru, Nov 20 (NationPress) The Karnataka Police have initiated a manhunt for the culprits behind the shocking Rs 7.11 crore daylight robbery in Bengaluru. The FIR lodged in connection with the incident unveils harrowing details of how the assailants, posing as officials from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), threatened the driver at gunpoint, compelled the gunmen and another staff member to exit the vehicle, and executed the heist.

Reports indicate that the gang also made off with the DVR from the cash-refill vehicle.

The complaint was registered by Vinod Chandrar, a 47-year-old Branch Manager of CMS Info System Limited based in HBR Layout. Every day, the company withdraws money from the HDFC Bank currency chest located in ITI Layout, J.P. Nagar, Bengaluru, for ATM refilling.

According to the FIR, on November 19 at 9:30 a.m., as per the direction of custodian Aftab, the company’s vehicle—a Tata Yodha with registration number GJ-01-HT-9173—along with driver Binod Kumar and gunmen Rajanna and Thammaiah set out on their daily duties. By 12:30 p.m., a whopping Rs 7.11 crore in cash was withdrawn from the HDFC Bank currency chest, loaded into the truck, and taken for ATM replenishment.

The FIR indicates that CMS Fleet Manager Faroq Pasha received a call from driver Binod Kumar, who informed him that while en route from Ashoka Pillar to Lalbagh Siddapur Gate, five to six individuals arrived in an Innova car with registration number KA-03-NC-8052. They claimed to be RBI officials and instructed custodian Aftab and the gunmen to disembark from the vehicle and enter the Innova.

The assailants then ordered Binod Kumar to drive the cash-refill vehicle, asserting that they would not disclose the whereabouts of his colleagues. He later revealed that the gang threatened him with firearms and executed the robbery of Rs 7.11 crore in cash on the Dairy Circle flyover.

Upon realizing the situation, the complainant checked the vehicle’s GPRS and confirmed its location near Dairy Circle on Hosur Road. Security Manager Syed Amzad Pasha alerted the police control room promptly. A company technician inspected the vehicle and later reported that the robbers had stolen the DVR embedded in the truck.

Initial investigations indicate that the robbery transpired in an area governed by three police precincts. The flyover where the crime occurred lies at the convergence of these precincts. The gang also snatched the mobile phones of all four crew members.

This daylight robbery in Bengaluru, where a gang pilfered Rs 7.11 crore from a vehicle transporting cash for ATM refilling, marks a significant incident.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh has ordered heightened vigilance across the city. Enhanced vehicle inspections, particularly at the city borders where barricades are established to thwart the robbers' escape, are now in effect.

The gang utilized a counterfeit number plate on the Innova, with the number KA 03 NC 8052, which is registered to a Swift car from Kalyan Nagar, according to police reports.

Furthermore, the staff of the cash refill vehicle reportedly informed the authorities about the incident later than expected, casting doubt on their account. Questions are being raised regarding why the armed personnel present did not resort to their weapons. All these aspects are under thorough investigation.