Two ATM servicing staff members, Suraj Narayan (33) and Sonu Rajput (34), both residents of Delhi, were arrested on Saturday for allegedly stealing more than Rs12 lakh from an ATM machine that one of them had previously repaired. The accused were caught near Vijay Nagar flyover following a police tip-off.
Police recovered Rs10.2 lakh in cash, three mobile phones, and a motorcycle linked to the theft. According to DCP Dhaval Jaiswal, Suraj worked for Tech Byte Company while Sonu was employed with NCR Company—both firms maintain ATM machines. The two met last year through Sonu’s brother and initially collaborated to buy and sell ATM parts. Their partnership later turned criminal.
The duo planned the theft over two months, targeting an ATM in Jassipura maintained by Sonu’s company. During a repair visit, Sonu deliberately left the ATM latch screws loose before requesting a transfer to avoid suspicion. On July 18, Suraj entered the ATM kiosk wearing a helmet and sprayed black paint on CCTV cameras. The next day, Sonu returned and cut the camera wires.
By July 24, the accused had removed Rs12.4 lakh from the ATM without causing any forced entry, which led the bank to suspect insider involvement. The theft was uncovered the following day when a technician arrived to fix the unresponsive machine and found the cash missing. Police are currently reviewing CCTV footage from July 16 to 25 to collect further evidence.
