In a dramatic early morning encounter, Commissionerate Police on Sunday arrested three accused involved in a series of ATM robberies. One of the accused, Deepak Kumar (25) from Nawada, Bihar, was injured in a police shootout near the Kesura area under Badagada Police limits and is currently receiving treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.
The arrest was confirmed by Police Commissioner Suresh Dev Datta Singh, who stated, “The injured accused was taken to AIIMS after being hit in the leg. Three persons, including him, have been arrested in the ATM fraud case.”
The other arrested gang members are Deepak Kumar Pande (24) from Nawada, Bihar, and Abhisekh Kumar Singh (32) from Chatra, Jharkhand. Police revealed that the trio belongs to an interstate ATM theft gang operating in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha, with the group involved in at least seven cases—two in Bihar, one in Jharkhand, and four in Odisha (two each in Puri and Bhubaneswar).
During the operation, police seized:
A country-made 7.65 mm pistol with ammunition
A TATA Harrier SUV
Rs12,000 in cash
12 stolen ATM cards
Mobile phones, adhesives, a knife, and other tools used in ATM tampering
The gang used a clever trick to commit ATM thefts. They would apply adhesive to the card slot, causing the card to get stuck. Then, they displayed a fake helpline number inside the ATM booth. When unsuspecting customers called the number, the gang would extract sensitive bank details and PINs, later using a knife to remove the card and withdraw money.
Police believe this arrest will significantly curb ATM frauds in Bhubaneswar and surrounding areas.