CMS staff under suspicion as police probe major ₹7 crore robbery in Bengaluru

A two-hour delay in alerting police, conflicting statements and CCTV clues have placed all four CMS staffers under intense scrutiny as Bengaluru Police widen the search for the robbers.

Bengaluru Police have intensified their investigation into the dramatic ₹7.11 crore ATM cash van robbery, after serious suspicion emerged about the role of the four CMS Security staff who were present during the crime. The robbery took place at around 1:15 PM, but police say the staff failed to alert authorities for nearly two hours, raising major red flags.

Initially, the police control room was alerted not by CMS, but by local residents, who reported a robbery in progress. Even then, officers had no information about where the van had gone. Multiple police stations were alerted and search teams fanned out across the city. Eventually, the abandoned ATM van was traced near Dairy Circle flyover at 2:15 PM, with all four CMS staff standing beside it.

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The staff reportedly revealed details of the robbery only after police confronted them on the spot, further deepening suspicion. All four, the driver, two gunmen and the cash handler, are now being questioned at the Siddapura Police Station.

CCTV footage shows the cash van leaving JP Nagar HDFC Bank at 12:21 PM with ₹7.11 crore meant for the Govindarajapura branch, followed closely by an Innova car. About 50 metres ahead, the Innova intercepted the van and the robbers abducted the staff briefly, seizing their mobile phones. The staff claim they recovered their phones only after the robbers fled, which they say caused the delay in informing their branch manager and the police.

Also Read:Police trace Innova’s route in ₹7 crore CMS cash van robbery

However, officials remain unconvinced. Investigators point out that all four staff members had been working with CMS for 7-8 years, and their statements reportedly contain gaps. DCP Lokesh personally questioned them, and Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh has ordered that the money and culprits must be traced by tonight.

A robbery case has been officially registered based on the driver’s complaint, though police confirm he is the first and primary suspect. More CCTV footage from JP Nagar, Dairy Circle and Hosur Road is being analysed as multiple divisions, South, Southeast, Electronic City, Whitefield and CCB, continue the manhunt for the gang.