Rs 13 lakh stolen from ATMs using gas cutter

Unidentified persons broke open two automated teller machines (ATMs) in Bihar’s Vaishali district and decamped with Rs 13 lakh in cash. The miscreants apparently used portable gas iron cutter in both the loot cases.

The ATMs, installed at a distance of 10 kilometres, were found to be badly burnt.

 Incidentally, no guards were deployed at either of the two ATMs, which remained open till late night. 

This is the first such incident in which miscreants have used gas iron cutters to break the outer body of the currency chest. While they took away Rs 12 lakh from the first ATM, they could decamp with only Rs 2.25 lakh from the second ATM, situated nearly 25 kilometres from Hajipur, the district headquarters of Vaishali. Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Arvind Gupta, who took stock of the incident sites, said he had asked for footage of CCTV cameras installed at the two ATMs. 

Gupta fears the same gang committed the crime as the modus operandi was similar. The ASP has, therefore, suspended the cops on patrolling duty and also issued show-cause notice to the station house officer of Biddupur police station under whose jurisdiction the loot incident took place.

“We have started scientific investigations. The Forensic Science Laboratory  team, comprising finger print experts, has been summoned to help probe the case,” said the Vaishali ASP.