Two ATM technicians who allegedly stole Rs12.4 lakh from an ATM in Jassipura, Ghaziabad, on July 24 were arrested on Saturday, police confirmed. The suspects spent nearly two months planning the heist and used their technical expertise to bypass the ATM’s security systems.
The accused were identified as Suraj Narayan (33), originally from Ayodhya and residing in Sangam Vihar, Delhi, and his friend Sonu Rajput (34) from Mainpuri, residing in Munirka, Delhi.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (City Zone) Dhawal Jaiswal, electronic surveillance helped track down the duo. Both men were familiar with the ATM and worked with different service-providing companies responsible for ATM maintenance.
The plan began with Sonu deliberately damaging the lock dialer of the ATM. When his company was assigned to fix the issue, he left some screws loose during the repair. On July 18, Suraj arrived on a bike and sprayed black paint on the CCTV camera inside the ATM. The next day, Sonu returned and cut the CCTV wires. Finally, on July 24, they executed the theft by withdrawing the cash and fleeing the scene.
The accused allegedly confessed to dividing the stolen Rs12.4 lakh equally between themselves.
An FIR was initially filed under BNS Sections 331(4) (house-trespass/housebreaking) and 305 (theft) at Kotwali Police Station, based on a complaint from the ATM-operating company.
Police used CCTV footage near a nearby flyover and traced mobile phone activity to identify the suspects. The arrests were made near Vijay Nagar flyover in Ghaziabad.
