A 20-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh, identified as Shivraj alias Shiva of Kanpur, was arrested for stealing cash from a State Bank of India (SBI) ATM in JJ Nagar, Mogappair East using a clever method involving an iron plate.
The theft came to light on Monday when customers reported that the ATM on Pari Salai was not dispensing cash despite receiving withdrawal confirmations. Upon investigation, senior bank monitoring executive Srinivasan noticed three suspicious men near the kiosk. While two fled, Shivraj was apprehended and handed over to the police.
The gang had placed a 30cm iron plate inside the ATM’s dispenser slot, trapping the notes. Customers, unaware of the trick, assumed the machine was faulty and left without collecting their cash. The suspects then retrieved the trapped money later.
An elderly customer had first spotted money stuck inside the machine after a withdrawal confirmation message. When he saw two youths tampering with the ATM, he confronted them. Soon after, Chandrashekhar, the apartment owner renting the ATM space, grew suspicious when the men returned. He locked one inside and alerted the police, leading to Shivraj’s arrest.
Police confirmed Shivraj targeted multiple ATMs using this method and are searching for his accomplices. Shivraj was produced before a magistrate and remanded to judicial custody.
