Bidar police arrest four interstate robbers within five days of SBI ATM heist

Bengaluru: Bidar police have arrested four members of an alleged interstate gang involved in the theft of more than Rs 23 lakh from a State Bank of India (SBI) ATM in Bhalki town, solving the case within five days with the help of CCTV footage.

The accused were traced to Shahin Nagar in Hyderabad, where a police team apprehended them. Three of the arrested men are from Haryana and one is from Rajasthan. They have been identified as Asu MD Shoharab Khan, Asif Chetarkhan, Anish Indrish and Rahul Papukhan.

The robbery took place on October 25 at an SBI ATM located in the Hiremath Samsthan complex in Bhalki. According to the police, the accused allegedly used a gas cutter to break open the ATM and gain access to the cash stored inside. Before carrying out the theft, they reportedly sprayed the CCTV cameras inside the ATM to prevent their activities from being recorded clearly.

The gang escaped with cash exceeding Rs 23 lakh, triggering an investigation by the Bhalki police. CCTV footage and other available clues helped investigators identify the suspects and track their movements to Hyderabad.

Bidar Superintendent of Police Pradeep Gunti constituted a special team to crack the case. Acting under his guidance, the Bhalki police carried out the operation and arrested all four suspects.

During the operation, police recovered Rs 12 lakh in cash and seized several items allegedly used in the crime. The seized articles include masks, mobile phones, gloves, a gas cylinder, a gas cutter and a car. The total value of the recovered cash and seized property is estimated at Rs 32 lakh.

A case had been registered at Bhalki Town Police Station. Further investigation is under way to establish the accused persons’ roles and determine whether they were involved in other ATM thefts.