Six nabbed for ATM robbery

The Ludhiana (rural) police claimed to have arrested six members of a notorious gang that has been involved in an alleged robbery at an ATM installed outside the Lamma Jatpura branch of Punjab National Bank (PNB) a fortnight ago.

Two two-wheelers used in crime, one gas cylinder, one gas nozzle and Rs 6 lakh were recovered from four of the suspects identified as Harvinder Singh Ruby, Sandeep Singh Shipu (both of Sarabha village in Ludhiana), Manpreet Singh of Moga and Rajwinder Singh of Balluana village in Bathinda district. The suspects, arrested from separate places have been remanded in police custody. No recovery was reported to be made from Harpreet Kaur, a resident of Haibowal, and Veerpal Kaur of Krishna Nagar, who were arrested on the basis of circumstantial evidence earlier.

The kingpin of the gang, Rajwinder, was booked in at least nine cases of similar nature at different police stations falling under the Bathinda police district.

Ludhiana (Rural) SSP Navneet Singh Bains said a joint team of the CIA, Jagraon, and Hathur police station, under the guidance of SP (D) Parminder Singh, DSP (D) Guriqbal Singh and Raikot DSP Harjinder Singh had solved the case registered under relevant sections of the BNS against unidentified persons on September 18.

Some unidentified miscreants had attempted to rob cash and valuables at two banks, including PNB, after damaging CCTV cameras at Lamme village on the intervening night of September 17 and 18 and took away cash worth Rs 17.14 lakh by breaking open the ATM of the PNB branch.

The case was registered on the statement of Rishabh Aggarwal, branch manager, who came to know about the robbery from village residents in the morning on the day of the incident.

Though the miscreants had damaged almost all CCTV cameras installed in the village before committing the crimes, investigations helped the police to identify all suspects.

“Though the accused had tried to destroy all evidence, the probe by a joint team of the CIA and the police station yielded desired results and led to partial recovery of the cash looted from the ATM,” Bains said. — TNS