Gurugram: Two held for 24 ATM thefts across three states

The Faridabad police, on Friday night, arrested two members of an interstate gang who allegedly loot automated teller machines (ATMs) in at least three states, by

Published on: Mar 28, 2020, 22:52:57 IST

By Leena Dhankhar, Gurugram

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The Faridabad police, on Friday night, arrested two members of an interstate gang who allegedly loot automated teller machines (ATMs) in at least three states, by uprooting and cutting them.

The police said the suspects were arrested from a checkpost near Sector 65 on Friday night when they were on their way to uproot an ATM in the sector.

According to the police, these suspects are habitual offenders and have been booked several times for ATM thefts and snatching cases in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Haryana.

During interrogation, they allegedly confessed to their involvement in more than 24 incidents in which they have uprooted ATMs across three states, the police said.

Recently they had uprooted ATM kiosks in Faridabad, Gurugram, Rewari, Delhi, Palwal and Ghaziabad, the police said.

The suspects have been identified as Tofiq alias Nepali and Shahrukh Khan of village Hussainpur in Nuh.

The police said the suspects were produced before the district and sessions court on Saturday and were remanded to three days of police custody.

Anil Yadav, the assistant commissioner of police (crime), said that the men are suspected to have robbed at least 17 ATMs in Faridabad and two in Gurugram. However, they have only confessed to their involvement in uprooting 21 ATMs. “During interrogation, they revealed that they used industrial tools and gas-cutters to uproot ATMs. They have uprooted ATMs in sectors 7, 10, and 18 in Gurugram.

In February and March this year, the police arrested nine people from Nuh, who were also allegedly involved in more than 200 incidents of uprooting ATMs in seven states across the country.

Yadav said the gang members had cut open an ATM kiosk on March 24 from the city and had taken out ₹5 lakh in cash. The gang members were identified after the CCTV camera footage of the incident was obtained from the server as they had dismantled the camera installed inside the ATM kiosk.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More