His colleagues go to refill Bihar ATM, cash van driver flees with ₹1.5 crore

PATNA: A driver of a private cash management company fled with ₹1.5 crore in cash on Monday evening when his colleagues stepped away to refill cash in an ATM in the Alamganj area of state capital Patna, police said.

Police said raids were conducted at Ghosi village in Jehanabad district, which is listed as the driver Suraj Kumar’s permanent address in the company’s records. But there was no trace of Suraj or the money, an officer said.

For now, the Patna police are questioning four colleagues of Suraj Kumar for information that could help them track him down.

Police said the incident took place on Monday evening when the Securewell India Private Limited van was in the Danka Imli area of Alamganj to refill ICICI Bank’s cash machines. Four employees went to the ATM, leaving Suraj Kumar alone with the van.

“When security staffer Subash Yadav, cashier Sonu and two other employees returned from the ATM, they found the cash van missing and informed the bank and police,” a police officer said.

The cash van was found abandoned a little over a kilometre from the ATM, close to the IDH colony near Nalanda Medical College Hospital. A police officer said Suraj Kumar was aware that the van was fitted with a GPS device and could be easily tracked. Police said the box containing the money was missing from the vehicle.

Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rajeev Mishra said the bank told the police that ₹1.45 crore were missing from the van. “Four persons have been taken into custody for interrogation. Police also contacted Jehanabad police to trace the accused driver Suraj. The raids are on to trace him,” he added.