A cab driver allegedly sped away with Rs.1 crore in cash belonging to the State Bank of Travancore (SBT) at Injambakkam here on Tuesday. Hours later, police found the car with Rs.80 lakh abandoned at Sakthi Nagar in Thoraipakkam.
According to Assistant Commissioner of Police (Thoraipakam) K. N. Murali, two employees of SBT hired the cab at Puducherry to transport Rs.1 crore to Chennai. The money was kept in a metal box.
At Injambakkam on East Coast Road, the driver Muthukumar (24) of Puducherry stopped the vehicle and said the engine had developed a snag. He asked the two employees to push the car. When they got down to push, he started the vehicle and sped away with the box containing the money.
On information, Commissioner of Police T.Rajendran formed a special team to trace the car. All check-posts and patrol vehicles were put on alert. Knowing that the police were after him, the accused drove into a narrow lane in Sakthi Nagar. He broke open the box and took Rs.20 lakh.
“The remaining money has been recovered. We have sent a team to Puducherry to enquire into the antecedents of Muthukumar. The car was heading to Anna Salai. About a fortnight ago, the same cab driver was engaged to transport cash. Murugan, one of the employees who escorted cash, has lodged a complaint,” Mr. Murali said.
Commending the good work of the police, Deputy General Manager (SBT) B.K.Shivaram said it was an usual practice to transport excess cash from the Puducherry branch to Chennai. “There is no system of sending armed guards. Now that this incident has occurred, the bank will take some corrective measures,” he said.
