After a large manhunt involving 200 police personnel, three people, including constable Annappa Naik, former CMS employee Xavier, and vehicle in-charge Gopi, were arrested within 54 hours.
Published Nov 23, 2025 | 6:07 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 23, 2025 | 6:07 PM
Constable Annappa Naik
Synopsis: Bengaluru Police say the ₹7.11-crore ATM van robbery on 19 November was an inside job, with a serving constable from the Govindapura police station allegedly having helped plan the operation and guide the gang during the heist. The group, which posed as officials of the Reserve Bank of India to intercept the cash van, had prepared for months, used multiple vehicles with fake number plates, and avoided surveillance before fleeing with the money.
The daylight heist of an ATM van in Bengaluru on 19 November, in which the robbers fled with ₹7.11 crore, was an inside job, investigations have revealed, and allegedly involved a police constable from the Govindapura police station.
The robbers posed as RBI officials, intercepted an ATM cash van near Ashoka Pillar, and decamped with its cargo. The vehicle, belonging to Cash Management Services (CMS) Info Systems, was transporting cash from an HDFC Bank branch.
Arriving in a car with a Government of India sticker, the robbers intercepted the van claiming they needed to verify documents, and forced the staff into their vehicle along with the cash. They later dropped the staff near Dairy Circle and fled with the money.
After a large manhunt involving 200 police personnel, three people, including constable Annappa Naik, former CMS employee Xavier, and vehicle in-charge Gopi, were arrested within 54 hours.
The trio were allegedly drinking partners and had planned the robbery months in advance by roping in several others.
Within 60 hours, police recovered ₹5.76 crore and the vehicle used in the crime. The gang is estimated to consist of around six to eight persons. By Sunday, seven accused had been arrested.
Naik, a 2018 batch constable attached to the Govindapura police station, is suspected to have played a central role in guiding the group and advising them on how to evade law enforcement.
His involvement in the case is likely to deal a blow to the image of the police force, sources in the police said.
For more than three months, the gang of six to eight members, including Naik, planned the heist in detail. They conducted a recce of the spot for 15 days. They also avoided using mobile phones during the operation and communicated in multiple languages to mask their identities.
They used multiple vehicles with frequent changes in number plates and identifiers. The gang also made precise stops in CCTV shadow areas.
While Naik was not part of the gang that intercepted the van, he and the former CMS employee reportedly exchanged multiple calls while the robbery was taking place.
According to police sources, Naik, using his experience in the police force, briefed the gang on how to carry out the robbery without drawing attention or leaving clues.
Just hours after the heist, Naik showed up at a police check post in the Banaswadi police station limits, although he was not posted there that day.
He approached the head constable on duty and began inquiring about the robbery, showing him viral images of the getaway vehicle and asking if they were verified.
His behaviour, especially the fact that he was present at that location when he was not posted there, raised suspicions among police officials. Earlier posted at the Banaswadi police station, Naik was known to be a very active official.
However, over time, complaints of misconduct surfaced, which led to his transfer to the Govindapura police station about a year ago.
While City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh expressed concern that one of the accused is a police constable, he appreciated the police team’s work in cracking the case swiftly, with the first arrest made within just 54 hours.
“Bengaluru City Police has swiftly cracked the sensational ATM cash-van heist reported on 19 November 2025, a crime that initially appeared to be a near-perfect, meticulously executed insider-facilitated crime,” a statement issued by the Commissioner on 22 November said.
Within record time, the core conspirators were identified, three key accused apprehended, and a substantial portion of the stolen cash amounting to ₹5.76 crore recovered, it added.
While mentioning some challenges encountered during the investigation, the Commissioner noted that real-time media reporting based on unofficial inputs hindered sensitive aspects of the early inquiry.
“The stolen currency notes were not serialised by the issuing bank, complicating tracing,” the Commissioner further said.
Singh also pointed to lapses on the part of CMS, who allegedly flouted RBI guidelines since the GPS location equipment was not functioning.
“According to the RBI, the route of the cash van must be changed often so that it should not become predictable. But with an insider helping the gang, it became easier,” he added.
In fact, the police received information about the robbery only after 1.5 hours, which helped the accused escape from the city by changing vehicles with fake registration number plates.
