Karnataka: Armed robbers shoot dead ATM cash van guard, steal Rs 92 lakh in Bidar

The attackers tried to snatch the cash trunk but after facing resistance, threw chilli powder on the employees and shot one of them. (Screengrab/X)

In a Fast and Furious-style robbery, two armed men shot dead an ATM cash vehicle guard in Karnataka's Bidar on Thursday and fled with a trunk containing Rs 92 lakh in broad daylight.

The incident unfolded near the State Bank of India’s main branch and left one employee, Giri Venkatesh Mallappa (37), dead and another, Shivakumar (35) critically injured, according to a report by the Deccan Herald.

The injured employee is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Hyderabad.

The victims, employees of CMS, a private agency responsible for transporting and loading cash into ATMs, were targeted while transferring a trunk of cash from the SBI branch into their vehicle around 10.30 am, the police said.

While the duo was handling the trunk, two assailants came on the spot and launched a violent attack. A video of the incident has since gone viral on social media.

While attempting to snatch the cash trunk, the masked assailants were met with resistance, after which they threw chili powder at the employees. When they continued to resist, the robbers opened fire on them, killing Mallappa and critically injuring Shivakumar. They then grabbed the trunk and fled on their motorcycle, as captured in the video.

The onlookers attempted to intervene by throwing stones, but according to eyewitnesses, the assailants fired shots into the air to deter them.

Police have obtained CCTV footage of the incident and launched a manhunt to apprehend the culprits.