Kutub Vihar ATM burglary solved after arrest of 3 accused

One accused took to breaking ATM after spurned by banks for jobs

New Delhi, Dec. 24 (Delhi Crown): With the arrest of three persons, two residents of Bijwasan and one of Sainik Encl- III, CRPF Camp at Jharoda, the Dwarka Police’s Special Staff on Friday (Dec. 24) claimed to have solved a blind ATM burglary.

The three accused have been identified as Vikram alias Kalu (21), Manish Rana (31), both residents of Bijwasan, and Kuldeep alias Rahul (28), a resident of Sainik Encl- III, CRPF Camp in Jharoda.

According to Dwarka DCP Shankar Choudhary, one of the accused took to breaking ATMs after being spurned by banks for job.

On Dec. 10-11 night, ATM guard Prem Kumar, posted at Canara Bank ATM in Kutub Vihar Phase-2, reported to the local police that unknown criminals had stolen cash amounting nearly Rs 10-12 lakhs from the ATM. Accordingly, an FIR was registered at Chhawla police station.

The incident had happened on a busy road and it was a matter of public faith as unknown criminals had broken the ATM Machine itself and vanished with entire cash in it. Efforts were made to work out the case by a team led by Inspector Naveen Kumar and comprising Sub-Inspectors Nanag Ram, Ranjeev Tyagi, Bijender Singh, Jaibeer, ASI Umesh, Head Constables Anil, Bachchu Singh, Raj Kumar, Sandeep, Ajay, Constables Raj Kumar, Vipin, Sandeep and Ravi under the direct supervision of ACP Vijay Singh Yadav.

Several CCTV cameras were checked and footages for hundreds of hours were analysed. Data of several criminals who had been involved in such crimes was analysed and informers were deployed with specific briefings.

Several raids were conducted in Delhi, U.P. and Haryana to trace the culprits. The team got first success on Dec. 14 when, acting on a secret information, a raid was conducted and accused Vikram was apprehended from Bijwasan area and interrogated.

Some stolen currency notes were found in his possession. He confessed to his crime and also disclosed that part of the stolen money is given to his associate Manish Rana who had provided his car for the crime for money.

Manish Rana was also apprehended from his house and more stolen currency notes were recovered from him also.

Main accused Vikram alias Kalu was taken on Police Custody remand and detailed custodial interrogation revealed that he was a aspirant for a bank job and

approached several banks but could not get a job.

Feeling rejected, he decided to target the most basic face of the bank i.e. an ATM and vanish its cash. To learn the working of the ATM machine and the ways to break it, he worked as ATM Guard on several ATMs of several banks.

Subsequently he roped in Kuldeep alias Rahul after the latter met him at a drug party near Najafgarh drain and promised him good money.

Rahul alias Nai Ka accepted his proposal and provided his criminal expertise in breaking the locks of the shutters of the ATM premises.

On Dec. 10 they shortlisted the Canara Bank ATM as it does not have much population nearby and targeted it in the night with the help of a drill machine. After taking the money from the ATM, they distributed it among all but retained only Rs. 4 lakh with him.

Out of this, he paid Rs. 80,000/- in getting his car released which was pledged with someone. He got fitted with a stereo in the car for Rs. 18,000/- and also purchased an expensive mobile phone for Rs. 45,000/- but broke it when being apprehended by police.

Another 15,000/- were paid in release of his bike, pledged with another person and then spent Rs. 15,000/- on its repair. The details prove that he was confident that he cannot be arrested and wanted to ensure that he will enjoy his life.

On the basis of interrogation of Vikram @ Kalu, the team of Special Staff/DWD continued its effort to arrest the criminal who acted as expert in the crime by breaking the locks etc and deployed several informers with his details. The team got success on Dec. 22 when it got a secret information that one more criminal involved in the ATM burglary- Rahul alias Nai Ka can be arrested while in possession of illegal firearm/ammunition and a stolen bike, on Goyla Dairy to Dwarka road. A raid was conducted and Rahul alias Nai Ka was arrested while in possession of one country made pistol, 2 live rounds and Rs. 2,10,800/- cash (original currency notes stolen from the ATM).

So far a total of Rs. 3,56,700/- cash stolen from the ATM has been recovered. Efforts are being made to trace their absconding associates and also to recover remaining case property.

On interrogation it was revealed that accused Vikram and Kuldeep were involved in many criminal cases registered in the past at various police stations in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.