Cash van driver held with Rs 22.5 cr

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 27

The driver of a cash van, who allegedly fled with Rs 22.5 crore from south-east Delhi's Govindpuri Metro station on Thursday, was arrested by the Delhi Police on Friday.

The 35-year-old driver, identified as Pradeep Shukla, was arrested from a godown in Okhla Industrial Area. Nine cash boxes, containing the “stolen” money, have been recovered.

“With his arrest, the biggest case of misappropriation ever from a cash van has been sucessfully solved,” said Mandeep Singh Randhawa, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-East).

Driver Shukla and gunman Vinay Patel, both employees with the Security and Intelligence Services (SIS), were tasked to deliver Rs 22.5 crore to the Axis Bank branch situated in the Okhla office.

On Thursday, they left in the van from the bank branch in Vikaspuri after collecting nine boxes containing Rs 22.5 crore .

“As soon as the van reached near Sriniwaspuri at 3.41 pm, gunman Vinay Patel deboarded the van to attend the nature’s call. Shukla then drove away with the vehicle,” the police officer said.

Shukla has been booked for criminal breach of trust and other relevant sections of the IPC, the police said.