Criminals try to loot cash van on highway, kill guard

A security guard was killed when armed criminals tried to loot the cash van of a toll plaza on LucknowFaizabad highway at around 11 am on Friday. The employees of toll plaza, located near Kot Sarai village on LucknowFaizabad highway, were going to the bank to deposit `43 lakh cash.

LUCKNOW: A security guard was killed when armed criminals tried to loot the cash van of a toll plaza on Lucknow-Faizabad highway at around 11 am on Friday.

Talking to HT, IG, Lucknow, A Satish Ganesh said the employees of toll plaza, located near Kot Sarai village on LucknowFaizabad highway, were going to the bank to deposit ` 43 lakh cash. They had stuffed the cash in a bag and kept in the rear side of the van. The employees were also carrying documents of toll plaza in another bag. As the van reached Mumtaz Nagar locality under Cantonment police station, it was hit by an SUV. The driver stopped the van to check the damage. The occupants of the SUV came out and tried to overpower the driver. When he raised an alarm, two security guards armed with double-barrel gun challenged them.

The criminals opened fire in which both the guards received gunshot injuries. The criminals escaped with one of the bags. The guards were rushed to the hospital where doctors pronounced one of them, identified as Raja Ram, dead. The IG said that in a hurry the criminals left the cash bag and escaped with the one containing documents. They also took away the guns of security guards.

The SUV did not have a number plate. The police have launched a manhunt to nab the criminals. ADG (law and order) Daljit Singh Chawdhary said the special task force (STF) had been directed to assist the district police in nabbing the killers. The criminals had sped towards Gorakhpur. Police officers of all the adjoining districts have been alerted and barricades have been put up on the highway to check the vehicles.