A gang of robbers barged into a large car showroom in Matigara, on the outskirts of Siliguri, overpowered the security personnel on duty and decamped with Rs 24 lakh in cash early on Friday.

Police have spoken with security guards and other employees of the showroom, collected the CCTV footage and are scanning it to gather more information.

During the preliminary investigations, the police have come to know that a gang of four, armed with sharp weapons, entered the showroom where three security guards were posted.

The quartet attacked and assaulted two of the guards and trussed them up.

The third guard was in the washroom during the incident.

The attackers then searched for cash and eventually found a locker kept in a drawer.

They took out the locker and fled with it. By the time the third security guard came out of the washroom, the burglary was over.

Later, as news spread, a team from Matigara police station reached the spot. Senior police officers also visited the site for an inspection.

“The showroom is located beside Asian Highway–II and there are a number of routes which one can take from the place. The police suspect the gang had planned the robbery well and had done a thorough recce,” said a source.

Later, the police came to know that the locker was found at a tea estate in Phansidewa block of Siliguri subdivision, around 10km south of the showroom.

A police team recovered the locker which was by then empty of cash.

“Our probe has started. No arrests have been made so far,” said Akhilesh Chaturvedi, the commissioner of Siliguri Metropolitan Police.