Driver of cash van runs away with Rs 22 crore in Delhi

In what could turn out to be the biggest cash heist in the national Capital, the driver of a cash transit van allegedly fled with around Rs 22.5 crore from South-East Delhi’s Govindpuri area on Thursday afternoon.

“The incident happened after the two left the Vikaspuri Axis Bank branch in west Delhi to ATMs in Okhla, which was their next destination to deliver the cash”.

The guard, Vinay Patel, knowledgeable the matter to the department involved of the personal financial institution whose money they have been carrying and financial institution authorities instantly referred to as up police. The guard wanted to go out to attend to nature’s call upon which the driver said he will return to the spot by taking a U-turn as “it will not cause any traffic jam”.

Gunman Patel claims that when he came back on the road, the van was not there.

The cash van has been recovered from Delhi’s Govindpuri area. A case of theft has been registered and the police are probing the driver’s background. “There seems an insider involvement”, said an officer.

However, the final evaluation of the heist would be possible only after the accused is nabbed, police said.

The Delhi Police’s Special Cell and the Crime Branch have also joined the investigation, said sources, adding that almost 50 people have been questioned so far.

The vehicle, belonging to private security firm SIS, was later found abandoned near Govind Puri Metro station, barely 1km away, but with the cash in the box missing.

Senior police officials who rushed to the spot after the incident was reported maintained that this was not a case of robbery but criminal breach of trust. The police patrols in the capital have been put on high alert.

Police said that this could be the biggest cash heist in Delhi after the January 2014 gunpoint robbery of Rs. 7.69 crore from a businessman at BRT corridor near Moolchand flyover. It was transporting cash from Vikaspuri to Okhla when the heist occurred.