ATM driver who fled with Rs 75 lakh in 2018 'killed by accomplices'

An ATM van driver believed to have fled with Rs 75 lakh in cash three years ago was actually murdered by his partners in crime after he developed cold feet, police say.

The van driver, Abdul Shahid, allegedly fled with a metal box and two bags full of cash from Nagavara Main Road, Northeast Bengaluru, on November 5, 2018. Shahid worked for Writer Safeguard, a city-based cash management services firm. K Suresh Kumar, the firm’s branch in-charge, had estimated the missing cash at Rs 75 lakh in a police complaint.

The firm had tasked two of its employees and a gunman with refilling ATMs that day. Shahid drove the cash van. The employees and the gunman took a portion of the cash and started replenishing the ATMs. Shahid, who had stayed behind in the van with the remaining cash, just drove away.

His accomplices — Kumar, 23, Madhusudhan K, 23, both from KR Pet, Mandya, Prasanna M B, 31, from KR Nagar, Mysuru, and Mahesha U, 22, of Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh — were waiting in Nagavara.

After Shahid reached there, the gang quickly took possession of the box and the bags, and drove off in another car.

The gang drove towards Sakleshpur in the Hassan district. But Shahid developed cold feet after reaching there. He told his accomplices that he didn’t want his share of the money and asked to be let go.

Shahid’s about-turn riled the gang. Fearing that he would tell the police about them, they attacked him, eventually strangling him with a car window cleaning cloth and dumping the body near the Beauty Spot in the Western Ghats.

The cash heist remained unsolved until recently as the jurisdictional KG Halli police failed to track down Shahid. The breakthrough came after the case was transferred to the newly formed Govindapura police station.

Govindapura police inspector Prakash R dug into the case files and reviewed surveillance footage. He zeroed in on Kumar and picked him up for questioning. The rest of the things fell into place. Shahid’s body was also discovered.

Both Kumar and Prasanna had worked as cash van drivers. Prasanna worked with Shahid for a month and Kumar for a day. After leaving their jobs, they planned the heist and roped in Shahid, Madhusudhan and Mahesha.