2 more suspects arrested from TN: Cops
Two more suspects were arrested in Chennai's ₹7.11-crore cash-van robbery, bringing the total to eight. Investigations continue for the remaining stolen cash.
Two additional suspects were arrested in the ₹7.11-crore cash-van robbery from Chennai on Sunday night, police said on Monday.
With the two— identified as Dinesh and Jinesh— in custody, said police, all eight identified members of the gang are now arrested, said officers familiar with the case.
The police had earlier detained the core conspirators — Ravi, a supervisory staffer of CMS Securities custodial vehicle; ex-employee Xavier; and Govindapura police station constable Annappa Naik — along with Rakesh, Gopi and Naveen.
The two men arrested on Sunday were traced to Tamil Nadu through Chittoor and Veluru in Andhra Pradesh in the days following the heist, said police.
They added that they did not recover any money from Dinesh and Jinesh. Investigators believe the two withheld information during questioning, prompting officers to bring all the accused together in an effort to obtain a clearer account of how the final portion of the cash was handled.
Authorities suspected that the two newly arrested suspects were in possession of the last remaining portion of the stolen cash — an estimated ₹82 lakh — and conducted extensive searches across Veluru and Chittoor in the hope of recovering it.
The probe has revealed that despite the magnitude of the theft, the gang appears to have spent only a small amount of the stolen money before the arrests. According to police officials, the group used ₹1 lakh after the robbery. Much of that sum went toward the purchase of two mobile devices — one costing ₹40,000 and another priced at ₹20,000. Additional expenditures included fuel for vehicles used in scouting potential locations, food for two days, lodging, and small payments of ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 to people who provided minor assistance as the group moved between districts.
State home minister G Parameshwara, who met senior officers, including city police commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh and joint commissioners Ajay Hilori and Vamshi Krishna to review the progress of the probe, issued a strong rebuke. “If anyone from the police department is found involved in criminal activities, strict action will be taken and no mercy will be shown,” he said. “They will be dismissed from service without hesitation, and legal action will also follow.”
Parameshwara told reporters that efforts to locate remaining suspects were continuing. He said he had instructed senior officials to intensify internal vigilance across all units and ensure discipline within the force, particularly in the wake of allegations implicating a serving constable.
Authorities are also examining whether the cash-management firm complied with the Reserve Bank of India regulations governing the transport of currency. “Action will be taken against them as well if they were not following the rules,” Parameshwara said.
