Detained policeman emerges as key suspect in Rs 7 crore Bengaluru robbery
Police in Bengaluru have detained a serving constable and a former CMS employee in connection with the Rs 7.11 crore daylight heist. Investigators say the pair planned the robbery meticulously, with call records and insider links pointing to their involvement.
Bengaluru: In a dramatic turn in the investigation into the audacious Rs 7.11 crore daylight robbery in Bengaluru, police have detained two men, including a serving constable from Govindarajanagar police station, officials confirmed on Friday.
According to senior officers, special investigation teams moved swiftly after gathering evidence linking the duo to the robbery of an ATM cash replenishment vehicle belonging to CMS Info System Limited. The second detainee, a native of Kerala, had recently resigned from the same company and is believed to have used insider knowledge to aid the crime.
'Planned the heist with precision'
Investigators say the constable, who had been on night duty on Thursday (November 20), was intercepted on his way home the next morning. Sources revealed that he and the former CMS employee had been friends for around six months and had "planned the heist with precision”, suggesting detailed reconnaissance and prolonged preparation.
Early findings point strongly to insider involvement, with officers noting that the police control room was alerted about the robbery nearly 45 minutes after it took place, a delay now considered suspicious.
The alleged link between the two suspects emerged after police analysed active mobile connections near the crime scene. Call detail records showed continuous communication during the window of the robbery, along with frequent contact in the days leading up to it.
Vehicle found abandoned near Tirupati
Despite rapid border checks and roadblocks set up soon after the incident, the gang managed to slip out of Karnataka. Investigators now believe the group could be hiding in either Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh. A vehicle used in the robbery was later found abandoned near Tirupati in Chittoor district.
Police are yet to issue an official statement, but Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said officers have obtained "strong clues” and are confident of making further arrests soon. Home Minister G. Parameshwara expressed similar confidence, noting that eight special teams and roughly 200 officers are currently working round the clock on the case.
Investigators have also learnt that some members of the gang may be from Bengaluru’s Kalyan Nagar neighbourhood.
The robbery, which unfolded in broad daylight on Wednesday, saw a group of armed men intercept a cash transport van and escape with Rs 7.11 crore that was being transported for ATM refilling.