Masterminds of bank ATM heist held
Praveen Belokar (28) was not the only one involved in the Rs 40 lakh heist at an Amboli ATM on Friday. Amboli police have arrested four others for allegedly plotting and executing it.
Praveen Belokar (28) was not the only one involved in the Rs 40 lakh heist at an Amboli ATM on Friday. Amboli police have arrested four others for allegedly plotting and executing it.
KMM Prasanna, deputy commissioner of police (zone XI) said Belokar, the driver of a security van transporting cash to the ATM, was only an accomplice to his friends, autorickshaw drivers Deepak Surve and Parshuram Ingle, who plotted and executed the robbery.
Four days before the robbery, Belokar had told them he needed money for his pregnant wife’s delivery. That’s when they convinced him to be part of the plan.
“Three days before the robbery, Surve and Ingle followed the Brink’s Arya van, which transports money for ATM machines across the city, and marked its route. On Friday, the van reached its third stop, the Infinity mall ATM, with Rs 93 lakh in cash, at 8.45 am and deposited Rs 9.5 lakh there. At the time, it was left unattended, with only Belokar in it,” said Prasanna.
Surve phoned Belokar and asked him to drive the van to Mega Mall at Oshiwara, with the remaining cash. When Belokar reached Oshiwara with Rs 74 lakh, he abandoned the van and gave Rs 40 lakh to Surve and Ingle.
“They took the cash to Surve’s sister who lives at Jogeshwari. When she protested, they left and emptied the bags at Meghwadi, Jogeshwari, where they phoned the third accused Baliram, and gave him some of the cash. The two then dumped the empty bags and fled to Nalasopara where Belokar joined them.
“Belokar was given Rs 84,000 for his wife’s delivery. They then called the fourth accused Ravi, from Buldhana, to help them carry the cash to Bhiwandi to Surve’s house. When Surve’s wife objected to concealing the cash there, they took it to Buldhana, while Ingle went to his Jogeshwari house to avoid suspicion,” added Prasanna.
The police recovered Rs 29 lakh from Buldhana and are looking for the rest of the money.