ATM cash van driver flees with ₹22.40 lakh

A driver of a cash van allegedly fled with ?22.40 lakh in Mumbai. The incident took place outside Kamgar Hospital on Akurli road.

MUMBAI: A driver of a cash van allegedly fled with ₹22.40 lakh in Kandivali East on Saturday evening.

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According to the Samta Nagar police, the incident took place outside Kamgar Hospital on Akurli road.

Rajaram Ghadigaonkar, 27, of Security Trance India Pvt Ltd, a cash transportation firm, informed the police that he was assigned the cash van along with another cash custodian Amitkumar Singh, security guard Shakil Shaikh and driver Sagar Dilip Sonawane, 28.

On Saturday, the group picked ₹3.52 crore from their office in Goregaon to be refilled in various ATM machines in kiosks from Goregaon to Borivali. They were also assigned the task of removing cash from deposit machines and depositing it in the specified banks.

At 7.45pm, when the group was at their second last stop, the firm employees went to the ATM kiosk to refill cash, leaving behind ₹22.40 lakh in the van after locking the back door. Sonawane had parked the van, while the employees along with the security guard left for the kiosk.

“When we came out, we found Sonawane was missing and the door of the van was unlocked. We called Sonawane several times, but there was no reply. On checking the van, the cash was missing,” Ghadigaonkar said in his statement to the police.

The complainant then informed his superior Himanshu Jain, who approached the Samta Nagar police and based on his complaint a case was registered against Sonawane under section 381 (theft) of the Indian Penal Code.

“Sonawane is a resident of Goregaon. However, he was not at home when we began searching for him. We are now scanning CCTV footage of the spot and the surrounding areas to ascertain the sequence of events and trace Sonawane,” a police officer said.