According to police, SP Sahu, a security guard with the Delhi-based APS security agency, was depositing the money at a special counter in HDFC Bank when the bag, which still had Rs 17 lakh, went missing.

The security agency is responsible for transporting cash between various branches of the bank. A case of theft has been registered, the police said.

“The guard had kept the bag close to his feet when it went missing. It is also negligence on his part that made the theft possible,” O P Chaudhary, Station House Officer of Sector-20 Police Station, said.

The bank does not have any CCTV cameras installed in its premises, said police.

“I brought the bag with Rs 24 lakh at around 1.30 pm and had been depositing it at the counter when it was stolen, with Rs 17 lakh still in the bag,” Sahu said.