ATM van security guard killed in accidental firing

LUCKNOW: A security guard on escort duty of a cash van loading currencies at an ATM booth, died of gunshot wounds that he suffered under mysterious circumstances in Lucknow.

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Amit Kumawat said the victim Chote Lal Verma, 40, of Sitapur suffered the firearm injuries in an accidental firing and the bullet pierced through his throat.

He said a bullet shell was recovered from inside the cash van and it seemed to be SBBL Rifle of Chhote Lal.

"The police took in its custody the DVR of CCTV installed in the cash van and were analysing it to find the minute details related to the incident. Action will be initiated accordingly," he said.

The ACP said a forensic team also inspected the crime scene in the city's Bakshi ka Talab (BKT) area and collected the evidence from the scene to navigate the investigation of the case.

Chhote Lal, along with another security guard and staff of SIS Security Company, manning the cash loading work in the ATMs, reached the ATM of Bank of India located near the BKT railway station.

Chhote Lal remained seated in the van at a seat next to the driver while another security guard and the staff went inside the ATM to load the cash.

In the meantime, they heard a gunshot and came out of the ATM only to see Chhote Lal bleeding profusely through the wound at throat and his head tilted to one side.

By the time police reached the scene, the local; people rushed the victim to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

SHO, BKT, B.C. Tiwari, said that Chote Lal was sitting at the front seat (adjacent to seat of the driver) while holding his SBBL Rifle in his hand.

"He was drinking water from a bottle and the rifle fell down on the van's floor and the gun went off throwing out a bullet which pierced through his throat," the SHO said.