Now, Allahabad Bank ATM cut open with gas-cutter

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 13

ATM robbers have been giving a tough time to the Jalandhar Commissionerate Police by striking again and again in city areas.

Just two days after robbers looted Rs 3.83 lakh from the Tata Indicash ATM located in the Dhami Nagar market on the Mithapur road, they again struck at the Allahabad Bank ATM located adjacent to the bank in Urban Estate Phase II. The incident took place between 8 am and 9 am today.

The miscreants, after breaking open the ATM with a gas-cutter, took away around Rs 8 lakh. Due to second Saturday of the month, the bank was closed today.

The police reached the spot, but due to certain technical problems in the DVR of the CCTV cameras, the exact time of the loot was yet unclear. The robbers took away a CCTV camera from the place.

Surprisingly, the ATM was being guarded 24x7 by three guards in shifts. The incident raised a question mark over the guards provided by the security agency concerned. The police rounded up three guards for questioning and their mobile call details were also being sought.

As per senior manager of the bank Mukhtyar Singh, guard Somnath was deployed for night duty for the ATM. He was to leave at 6 am, but the morning guard Ranjit, who was to join at 6 am, joined duty at 9.15 am.

Due to this, the night guard had left the ATM at 8 am. The night guard had requested the day guard Ranjit to stay till 9 am as his son was admitted to a hospital, but the former left early. The police has been suspecting the role of the guards and both were being questioned.

Over eight ATMs in vicinity

Close to the Allahabad Bank ATM, over five banks with ATM kiosks are situated and most of them have guards too. Still, the robbers managed to break open the ATM with a gas-cutter. The police has also been questioning the night guards of the ATM located in the same complex.

Cops prepared dossier

A day before the loot, police division No. 7 had prepared a complete dossier of the ATM guards. As per the CCTV footage, the PCR cops also checked the ATMs thrice at night and the police is suspecting that the robbers struck between 8 am and 9 am when the guard was missing from the ATM kiosk.

Meanwhile, despite directions by the Police Commissionerate, banks are not fulfilling various security parameters. As the cash in the ATM machine is fully insured, banks do not take the pains to get the cash points secured either through a security guard or through a security system. Despite repeated warnings and issuing advisories to the banks and various corporates dealing with cash transaction services, none has come forward and installed a foolproof security system at their cash points till date.