Rajpura : Six youths, in their mid-twenties, today intercepted a cash van, fired at the driver and fled with Rs 1.33 crore. The crime, that took just two minutes, occurred on the busy Banur-Rajpura highway at 10 am.
A Scorpio, that was trailing the security vehicle (with SIS security) carrying cash for Axis Bank, suddenly overtook the van and screeched to a halt. One of the robbers fired at driver Sukhwant Singh and a bullet pierced his arm. Four other robbers surrounded the cash van. They threatened to kill anyone who tried to raise the alarm.
“Fearing for their life, the two armed guards in the van did not fire a single shot. The robbers went straight for the cash box and placed it in the Scorpio where the sixth accomplice was at the wheel. The attackers disarmed the guards and took away their .12 bore guns. One was found on the highway,” said Banur SHO Gurpreet Singh. According to the police, the cash van was to deliver Rs 85 lakh to the Rajpura branch, Rs 40 lakh to Cheeka and Rs 4 lakh each to the Dharamkot and Ramnagar branches. Clues are now being collected from  CCTV footage.
Sources said the police had obtained the footage of the Scorpio — from Sector 34 in Chandigarh till the crime spot. “The vehicle clearly trailed the cash van. It is highly possible that this may be an insider’s job,” they said. Intelligence officials, however, suspect the involvement of a local gang. “We have time and again warned that gangsters in the state are well-armed and all they need is cash,” they said.  The police have rounded up at least 12 suspects. “We believe a second vehicle was used,” S Bhoopathi, Patiala SSP, said.
Another case yet to be solved : On February 1, 2014, three men shot bank guard Randhir Singh and injured cashier Anurag Tiwari while they were loading an ATM in Nabha. The robbers, who fled on a motorcycle, have not been traced so far. The police had registered a case of robbery, murder and attempt to murder and are linking Tuesday’s Banur robbery with the Nabha incident.