2 ATM robbers held

Our Correspondent

Kaithal, June 27

In a joint operation by a team of Kaithal police and Saharanpur police (Uttar Pradesh), two members of an interstate gang operating in Delhi, Haryana, UP, Punjab and Uttarakhand were held after a chase and brief encounter. They were allegedly involved in uprooting six ATMs and stealing cattle.

The duo has been identified as Farman, a resident of Baigi Nazar village under police station Gangoh (Uttar Pradesh), and Kala alias Gulsher of Pbahari in Yamunanagar district.

The police have seized a pick-up vehicle, a 12 bore gun, three live cartridges, two uprooted ATMs, Rs 4.5 lakh cash and equipment used for cutting ATMs.

During interrogation, the accused have confessed that they uprooted ATMs by tying it to a rope, then opened up the machines at desolate places, took out cash and concealed the damaged ATMs under wild growth on the banks of the Yamuna river.

SP Shashank Kumar Sawan said here on Saturday that a joint operation by the two teams was carried out late on Friday night and a barrier was set up on Saharanpur-Delhi road near Chindwara crossing.

When two vehicles were signalled to stop, they took a u-turn and tried to speed away but were chased by the police teams. The occupants of one vehicle opened fire at the police. The police overpowered two of them, but the others managed to escape.

The SP said 29 cases had been registered against the accused in various states.