Rs 70 lakh cash stolen from ATM van in Bihar's Chhapra

Patna, May 10 (IANS) In a major heist, Rs 70 lakh was stolen from an ATM cash van in Bihar's Chhapra district on Friday, raising serious questions about the conduct of the van's crew.

The incident occurred near Hathua Market under the jurisdiction of the Town police station, according to Raj Kishore Singh, State Divisional Police Officer of the Sadar range of Saran police.

The stolen amount was collected from a branch of Punjab National Bank (PNB) and kept inside the cash van before the staff went to collect an additional Rs 28 lakh from an ICICI Bank branch.

On returning, the staff claimed that the lock of the van had been broken and Rs 70 lakh was missing.

The police have detained four cash van employees -- two custodians, a security guard, and the driver -- for questioning.

Though they have not been formally arrested yet, Singh noted their behaviour was "suspicious".

"According to security protocol, the driver must remain with the van at all times," SDPO Singh said.

"However, in this case, the driver also went inside the bank, which raises doubts."

The CCTV footage from the area revealed a suspicious car parked behind the cash van at the time of the theft.

Authorities are working to trace the vehicle and identify any potential suspects involved in the heist.

A Special Investigation Team has been formed to probe the matter, and a case has been registered against unknown persons at the Town police station of Chhapra.

"The incident appears suspicious at first glance. We are investigating it from every angle. How and under what circumstances such a large amount disappeared is under thorough examination," Singh added.

"The cash van belongs to Hitachi Company which provides ATM cash refilling and collection service in the region. We have asked their officials to join the probe too," he said.

Police officials have expressed confidence that the case will be solved soon, with multiple leads being pursued.

--IANS

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