In a daring overnight robbery, three unidentified individuals stole a significant sum of cash from an automated teller machine (ATM) in Satana, located approximately 100 kilometres from Nashik city. The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Saturday, saw the burglars make off with Rs 16.44 lakh after forcibly removing the machine's cash dispenser.
The Method of the Heist
The burglary was executed with alarming speed and audacity. According to Inspector Yogesh Patil of the Satana police, the three suspects arrived at the ATM kiosk in the Yashwantnagar area around 2:50 am on Saturday. They were driving a pickup truck that had no registration number plate. Their first step was to cut through the shutter of the kiosk.
Once inside, they tied a rope around the cash dispenser, securing the other end to their vehicle. Using the pickup truck's power, they yanked the entire dispenser out of its housing in a mere 10 to 12 minutes. After loading the heavy machine onto their truck, they fled towards Tarhabad.
Police Response and the Abandoned Loot
The alarm system integrated into the ATM immediately alerted the bank's security department in Delhi, who then notified the Satana police. A police team reached the crime scene by 3:16 am, but the culprits had already escaped. Despite alerting surrounding police stations and setting up nakabandi (blockades), the initial search proved futile.
The breakthrough came around 8 am when police received information that the stolen cash dispenser had been found abandoned on a road near Sakri, about 51 km from Satana. Upon inspection, officers discovered that the burglars had not managed to open two of the dispenser's drawers, which still contained Rs 9.55 lakh.
How a Farmer's Torch Foiled the Robbery
Inspector Patil revealed a crucial twist in the tale. The burglars had attempted to break open the dispenser's drawers around 6:30 am while it was still dark. However, their efforts were interrupted when a farmer working in a nearby field shone a torchlight in their direction. Fearing capture, the suspects panicked and fled the scene, leaving the dispenser and a portion of the cash behind.
Police confirmed that the total amount in the dispenser was Rs 25.9 lakh. The burglars successfully escaped with the remaining Rs 16.44 lakh. Inspector Patil noted that although the suspects had covered their faces, they left behind numerous fingerprints at the ATM kiosk, which could provide vital clues. Special teams from the Satana police station and the Local Crime Branch (LCB) have been formed to track down the accused.
