Trio fires at young manager outside factory, robs cash bag of Rs 7.3 lakh

Three unidentified men fired at the accounts manager of a factory at the Pillagumpe Industrial Estate near Hoskote in Bengaluru Rural district on Thursday and robbed him of Rs 7.30 lakh in cash.

The manager, Veerender Gupta, 24, suffered multiple injuries in the legs and thighs after being sprayed with bullets. He has been admitted to a private hospital in the City and is said to be out of danger. Gupta, who hails from Rajasthan and lives in Whitefield, works for Warm Gears Private Limited, which manufactures automotive parts, the police said.

Gupta and his car driver Manjunath had gone to Sulibele to withdraw money from a State Bank of India branch to pay salaries to some employees. They went to the bank after lunch and withdrew Rs 7.30 lakh. Gupta kept the cash in a bag and left for office in a car.

The robbers, who lay waiting outside the bank, followed him on a bike. Around 3.30 pm, just as he alighted from the car and was about to enter the factory premises, they accosted him and tried to rob him. But he resisted their attempt, after which they fired three shots. The bullets pierced into Gupta’s legs and thighs, and he collapsed at once. The trio then snatched the cash bag and sped off.

Police rushed to the spot soon after. They took Gupta to a government hospital at Sulibele. Later, he was shifted to the private hospital. Inspector General of Police (Central Range) Syed Ulfath Hussain and Bengaluru Rural SP Ramesh B visited the hospital. The officers exuded confidence of arresting the suspects soon.

The robbers appeared to be well aware of Gupta’s routine as he would often bring money from the bank. Police said they were checking the footage of CCTV cameras installed near the spot and the call data record of mobile phones to get leads about the suspects. The miscreants are suspected to have fired the shots with a .42 pistol. But the exact nature of the weapon would be known only after an investigation, the police added.

Meanwhile, Gupta is conscious and able to talk, a doctor treating him at the Axon Speciality Hospital in Indiranagar said. The doctor said Gupta’s injuries were caused by bullets shot into the chest, back and lower limbs. “Our first target would be to stabilise the patient and assess the extent to which he has been injured. As of now, there is no need to remove the pellets immediately. An exact update on his condition would be given only after three days. Gupta had lost a lot of blood while he was brought here. He is being given blood, frozen platelets and liquids to help him recover.”