In what police describe as an unprecedented daylight robbery, a group of men posing as Reserve Bank of India officials executed a meticulously planned heist and escaped with ₹7.11 crore from an ATM cash van on Wednesday in Bengaluru.
Investigators say the operation unfolded in a series of coordinated steps, leaving authorities scrambling for answers.
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Step 1: The cash run begins
According to the FIR filed by CMS Inno System Ltd, the cash van left the company’s JP Nagar base at 9.30 am with driver Binod Kumar, custodian Afthab, and two armed gunmen, Rajanna and Tammayya. By 12.24 pm, the team withdrew ₹7.11 crore from the HDFC currency chest in JP Nagar, packed it into trunks, and began their routine route to refill ATMs across the city, news agency PTI reported.
Step 2: The Interception at Ashoka Pillar
As the van travelled via Jayanagar’s Ashoka Pillar towards Lalbagh Siddapura Gate, a SUV with a Government of India sticker abruptly intercepted it. Between five and six men stepped out and introduced themselves as RBI officials conducting a document verification.
{{/usCountry}}As the van travelled via Jayanagar’s Ashoka Pillar towards Lalbagh Siddapura Gate, a SUV with a Government of India sticker abruptly intercepted it. Between five and six men stepped out and introduced themselves as RBI officials conducting a document verification.
{{/usCountry}}Initially, police believed the men had posed as Income Tax officers, before clarifying that the suspects used RBI credentials.
Step 3: Splitting the crew
The impostors ordered the staff out of the van. Afthab, Rajanna, and Tammayya were bundled into the gang’s Innova, while the driver was instructed to continue driving the cash vehicle alone, a tactic that separated the guards from the money with minimal resistance.
Step 4: Threat and loot on Dairy Circle flyover
A short distance away, on the Dairy Circle flyover, the suspects escalated the operation. Brandishing a pistol, they forced the driver to stop and hand over all the cash. The entire ₹7.11 crore was transferred into the getaway vehicle, after which the men sped away.
Step 5: Dumping the staff and van
The abducted staff members were reportedly dropped near Dairy Circle, while the cash van was later traced via GPRS near Hosur Road. The robbers also removed the van’s DVR, eliminating key camera footage.
Step 6: Police scramble into action
More than 50 CCTV camera feeds are now being reviewed to reconstruct the gang’s escape route. Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh said the lack of immediate information from the crew caused delays but added that multiple teams and roadblocks (nakabandi) have been deployed citywide.
Home Minister H. Parameshwara called the robbery a “first-of-its-kind incident” in Bengaluru and confirmed that “important leads” have been found. He said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has instructed police to treat the case as a top priority.
(With agency inputs)