An armed security guard was killed and two employees of a private cash handling agency were injured when six motorcycle-borne goons fired at them in daylight on Thursday on the premises of a branded supermarket chain here.

The security guard and the two employees foiled the attempt of the gang to loot cash at Kalyanpur in the West Burdwan town, but were shot at, leaving the guard dead.

Police said around 11.30am, employees of a private cash handling agency were shifting Rs 70 lakh from the supermarket to a van to deposit it at a bank.

As the two cash-laden bags were being dumped in the van, six masked youths on two bikes trained revolvers at the guard Rabiul Mirdha, employee Prashanta Debnath and driver Bikash Pal.

“As Mirdha resisted, the goons opened fire,” said a police officer. “A bullet hit Mirdha on his throat. The other bullets hit the glass windows of the van and shards of glass injured Debnath and Pal. All three were rushed to Asansol district hospital where Mirdha was declared dead on arrival.”

The goons failed to take the bags of cash, fleeing when employees and guards of the supermarket came out hearing the gunshots. The police said the goons had left behind a motorcycle, but it could be stolen.

“The motorbike bears the registration of Durgapur road transport authority but we suspect it could also have been stolen too,” said an investigating officer.

Two persons have been detained for interrogations, the officer said.

“We have also taken CCTV camera footage of the supermarket and alerted all neighbouring police stations, including our counterparts in the (nearby) state of Jharkhand,” said Tathagata Pandey, assistant commissioner of police (central).

Police said the goons were aware about the time when cash from the supermarket chain was supposed to be shifted to the bank. “They had been waiting at the spot and they seemed to have carried out a recce beforehand,” said a police officer.