Punjab murder accused becomes professional ATM thief in Bengaluru

A murder accused from Punjab teamed up with two men from the city to rob Rs 27.82 lakh from a Canara Bank ATM in Jalahalli, North Bengaluru, two weeks ago, police said.

Samarjyot Singh, 33, was arrested in Chandigarh in 2004 for a murder. He later got bail and came to Bengaluru in order to avoid court hearings. Once in the city, he changed his name to Gurmeet Singh and took to crimes. Last year alone, he allegedly committed ATM thefts in Parappana Agrahara, Mico Layout, Chennammanakere Achukattu and Subramanyanagar police station limits. Byatarayanapura police arrested him for an ATM theft and he was sent to the Parappana Agarahara prison, police said.

In the jail, he befriended a suspected drug peddler named Jaffer A V, 30, and a theft suspect named Yahya A V, 27. The trio got bail in June and decided to steal ATMs again, according to police.

On August 10, the trio allegedly stole Rs 27.82 lakh from a Canara Bank ATM located on MES Road in Jalahalli. The cash management firm handling the ATM filed a police complaint.

Police zeroed in on the trio after receiving a tip that they had recently bought a ŠKODA car, two Honda Activa scooters, a Royal Enfield motorcycle and branded clothes. In short, the trio was leading a lavish life.

Jalahalli police said they had recovered Rs 17.34 lakh from the trio, along with the four vehicles, a gas cylinder and a gas cutter.