Jharsuguda: A brazen attempt to steal an ATM of a public sector bank was thwarted by a police patrol team early on Thursday, leading to the detention of three suspects.
The incident occurred at BTM Chowk when a group of miscreants used an excavator to uproot the entire ATM kiosk. But before could flee with the ATM, a local police patrol team intervened. Bank sources said the ATM had around Rs 27 lakh. The bank’s technical team confirmed that the cash inside the ATM was untouched.
Lady constable Sanarti Bud, stationed at the emergency response support system control room received a call from a resident regarding the heist. “The caller told me that some people are uprooting the ATM using an excavator,” Bud said, adding, “I passed on the information to relevant people as part of my duty.”
Jharsuguda SP Smit Parmar lauded the constable’s quick thinking and efficiency in handling the situation. “Upon receiving an alert, she promptly mobilized all night patrolling teams and emergency response vehicles (ERV)s and coordinated the installation of checkpoints at exit routes and notified all police stations about the incident. She also contacted the CCTV control room to track the excavator’s licence plate,” Parmar said.
While the thieves fled, the vehicle’s number plate led police to the owner of the excavator, who was detained. After questioning him, police detained two more. Her swift action and vigilance deterred the thieves, who abandoned both the excavator and the ATM, the SP said.
Sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Uma Shankar Singh said, “Our team responded immediately after receiving information about the incident. Following the SP’s instructions, all patrolling staff and police posts were alerted, leading to a quick recovery of both the excavator and the ATM.”
A case has been registered at Jharsuguda Sadar police station and investigation is ongoing.