No headway in Lalru ATM robbery

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Our Correspondent

Lalru, June 14

Even after four days, the police are still groping in the dark about the gang of thieves who targeted an ATM of the PNB branch at Dappar near here and decamped with the cash dispenser containing Rs16 lakh.

The robbers were captured in a CCTV camera installed inside the ATM. But the police are facing difficulty in identifying the suspects as they had covered their faces.

Gurcharan Singh, SHO, Lalru, said: “The number plate of the Mahindra pickup van used in the crime was not visible in the CCTV footage. We are yet to get any clue in this regard, but investigations are on”.

In the CCTV footage, the thieves could be seen conducting a reconnaissance of the area and entering the booth. The suspects broke open the metal door with an iron rod. They tied one end of the rope with the ATM and the other with the pickup van parked outside. They succeeded in uprooting the machine within minutes. After committing the crime, they fled from the spot. An iron rod was recovered from the booth.

The incident came to light when Ashish Adhikari, Branch Manager, PNB, received a call from the headquarters in Mumbai about the incident. After getting information, he reached the spot.

The police said there was no security guard at the booth. The thieves, who appeared to be members of a professional gang, didn’t leave any ‘major’ forensic proof behind.