Patna: Two armed men on a motorcycle robbed a cash van of Rs 27 lakh in broad daylight on the Patna–Masaurhi road on Wednesday, in a brazen attack that has raised fresh concerns over security arrangements in the city.
Police said the incident took place within the Gopalpur police station limits when the cash van was en route along the busy stretch. The assailants intercepted the vehicle mid-road, threatened the staff at gunpoint and fled with the cash before help could arrive.
According to officials, the attackers forced the van to stop by overtaking it on a motorcycle. Once the vehicle was halted, they allegedly brandished firearms at the driver and security personnel, creating panic on the road. The robbers then took Rs 27 lakh kept inside the van and escaped, reportedly brandishing weapons as they left the scene.
No injuries were reported in the incident, but the robbery triggered immediate panic among passersby and disrupted movement on the route for a short period.
Soon after the incident, the van crew informed their agency, which alerted the police. Senior officers, including Sadar Deputy Superintendent of Police (2) Ranjan Kumar and Gopalpur station house officer Amit Singh, reached the spot with additional personnel. Police teams have since been deployed to block possible escape routes.
A special investigation team has been constituted to probe the case, officials said. CCTV footage from cameras installed along the crime scene and surrounding roads is being examined to trace the suspects and reconstruct their movements before and after the robbery.
“Given the seriousness of the incident, all technical and human intelligence inputs are being used. The accused will be identified and arrested soon,” DSP Ranjan Kumar said.
The incident adds to a series of recent cash van and street-level robberies reported in Patna and nearby areas, raising questions over the safety of cash transportation routes. In March this year, Rs 20 lakh was looted near Alpana Market under the Patliputra police station area. In another case in 2023, a driver associated with a cash management company in Alamganj allegedly fled with Rs 1.5 crore from a cash vehicle.
Police said increased patrolling and checkpoints have been set up in the area as the investigation continues.
