Van driver runs away with Rs 19 lakh cash

A VAN driver made off with Rs 19 lakh cash by using trickery in Hoshangabad on Tuesday. The cash belonged to the State Bank of India.

A VAN driver made off with Rs 19 lakh cash by using trickery in Hoshangabad on Tuesday. The cash belonged to the State Bank of India.

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Acting on a complaint of an employee of the SBI, Baktara branch, the Hoshangabad police registered a case of looting bank money against Maruti van driver Shravan Kumar and cordoned off the entire area. According to police, the incident took place around 1 pm. The accused could not be arrested at the time of filing of the report.

In his complaint, bank’s Senior Assistant Kamal Singh Chouhan said he and guard Ravishankar Mansoria left Hoshangabad for Baktara branch in the Maruti van with Rs 19 lakh cash.

The complainant said when they reached Harda culvert the driver stopped the van and acted as if it developed a snag. He asked the two bank employees to push the vehicle. When the two came out, Shravan started the vehicle and sped away with the box containing cash and a 2-bore rifle of the guard towards Itarsi, Chouhan said.

The police said Shravan was a resident of Piparia Dobi village under the Shahganj police station. The bank’s hired Maruti van No. MP-04 A-6297 on contract basis, the police added.

The police are likely to register a case of fraud and criminal breach of trust against the accused.