Cyberabad police arrest driver for stealing ₹56L from ATM cash vehicle in Gachibowli

Hyderabad: Cyberabad Police have arrested a driver for allegedly stealing ₹56 lakh from an ATM cash vehicle in Gachibowli.

Police have recovered ₹34.9 lakh from his possession.

The accused was nabbed at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport while attempting to flee to another destination.

The theft occurred on February 12 in the Gopampalli Thanda area under the limits of Gachibowli Police Station. A case was registered (Crime No. 278/2026) under Section 306 of the BNS, and a detailed investigation was launched.

Driver turns accused

Police identified the accused as Badigere Ajith Kumar alias Shiva (34), a driver employed with Sangam Security Agency and residing at Diamond Point, Secunderabad. A native of Bommanahal village in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, he allegedly committed the theft while on duty.

According to investigators, Ajith Kumar took advantage of being alone inside the cash van when other staff members were loading cash into an ATM. He drove away with the vehicle carrying ₹56 lakh and misled his colleagues for nearly two hours, claiming he was at a nearby hotel having tea with friends.

He later abandoned the vehicle at Gaddar Chowrasta in Nallagandla after removing the trunk box containing the cash and fled in an autorickshaw.

Escape trail across cities

On the night of the offence, the accused checked into a lodge at RTC Cross Roads, posing as a regular traveller. Using an axe blade, he broke open the cash trunk, transferred the money into a bag, and fled to Anantapur.

Police said he moved between several cities, including Ballari, Bengaluru, and Pune, to evade arrest. However, three special teams formed by the police tracked his movements using CCTV footage, technical evidence, and human intelligence.

On February 24 at around 8 am, he was apprehended at RGIA, Shamshabad, just as he was preparing to leave for another location.

Cash recovery and confession

During interrogation, police recovered ₹34.9 lakh from his possession under a panchanama. The accused reportedly confessed that he had spent the remaining amount on lavish personal expenses while on the run.

He was subsequently remanded to judicial custody.

Action against security agency

Police officials stated that action would also be initiated against Sangam Security Agency under the Private Security Agencies Regulation Act (PSARA), 2005, for alleged negligence in the driver’s appointment and failure to maintain proper identity records.

The case was detected under the supervision of DCP Serilingampally Zone Ch. Srinivas and Addl. DCP Uday Kumar, with the assistance of CCS Madhapur, Gachibowli police, and the crime team.

Cyberabad Police also appreciated an SVR Bus Travels driver, Umakanth, whose alertness and timely information helped investigators trace the accused.

Advisory to Security Agencies

Police advised all private security agencies and cash-handling personnel to remain vigilant, maintain updated employee records, and coordinate regularly with law enforcement authorities to prevent such incidents.