Samastipur/Patna: Thieves allegedly stole Rs 18,22,500 from an India One ATM near Chaklalshahi Chowk in Bihar’s Samastipur district after damaging the machine’s cash box with a drill and disrupting its server connection. The incident took place in the early hours of Sunday in the Halai police station area and came to light later that evening after the ATM company reported a loss of server connectivity.
The ATM was located near the old police station building along the Jandaha-Samastipur main road. Despite remaining open 24 hours a day, the facility did not have a security guard on duty.
How the Robbery Was Discovered
The incident came to light after the ATM company received a complaint about the machine losing contact with its server. A technical team visited the site to investigate and discovered that cash was missing from the machine.
The team subsequently informed Halai police, who arrived at the spot and began an investigation.
Preliminary findings suggest that the culprits used a drill to damage the bolts securing the ATM’s cash box before removing the money. Investigators are also examining reports that the machine’s server connection was disrupted during the incident and that its hard disk was not functioning.
Police are trying to determine how the technical systems were disabled and whether the suspects had prior knowledge of the machine’s configuration and security arrangements.
Police Await CCTV Footage From Mumbai
Patori Deputy Superintendent of Police B.K. Madhavi visited the site and inspected the ATM and surrounding area.
The ATM’s CCTV system is monitored online through a control centre in Mumbai. Police have requested the company to provide the stored footage to help identify the suspects and establish how the robbery was carried out.
Samastipur Superintendent of Police Arvind Pratap Singh said preliminary findings suggested that the suspects may have possessed technical knowledge of the ATM. He also confirmed that no security guard had been deployed at the facility.
Police are examining the possibility of local assistance or an informant having helped the culprits, although no such involvement has been established.
An FIR has been registered. Investigators are pursuing both technical and conventional leads to identify and arrest the suspects and recover the stolen money.
Questions Raised Over ATM Security
The robbery has raised concerns about security at the facility, which remained accessible around the clock without a guard despite being situated along a busy main road.
Local residents have also raised questions about police patrolling in the area following the relocation of the police station from its old building to a new premises. However, no official link has been established between the patrolling arrangements and the robbery.
The investigation will seek to establish whether the suspects conducted prior reconnaissance or obtained information about the ATM’s security systems and cash holdings before carrying out the crime.
Another ATM Targeted Six Months Earlier
Samastipur has witnessed another ATM robbery in recent months. On April 23, thieves allegedly used a gas cutter to break into a Canara Bank ATM on Mohanpur Road in the district’s Muffasil police station area and stole approximately Rs 2.11 lakh.
The suspects reportedly fled in an SUV after the incident, and CCTV footage subsequently emerged. According to the available report, the accused had not been arrested and the stolen money had not been recovered even after approximately six months.
The latest robbery, involving more than Rs 18 lakh, presents another challenge for the district police, who must identify the culprits and recover the stolen cash.
Investigation Underway
Police are examining CCTV footage, technical evidence from the ATM and possible local connections as part of the investigation. Officers are also trying to establish when the suspects may have surveyed the site and how they knew about the machine’s cash holdings.
The police are awaiting the CCTV storage footage from Mumbai, which could provide crucial leads. The investigation remains ongoing, and the suspects’ identities have not yet been established.
