Jalpaiguri: In a major ATM heist, robbers looted nearly Rs. 54 lakh from a bank ATM in the Bolbari Bazar area of Maynaguri before fleeing in a white Scorpio SUV. Within 24 hours of the crime, police arrested three suspects and recovered around Rs 15.48 lakh from a forested area near Gajoldoba, following an intense joint operation. Two of them were produced at the Jalpaiguri Chief Judicial Magistrate Court on Sunday and remanded to ten days of police custody. According to police sources, five individuals were involved in the robbery, which took place late Friday night. The ATM, located beside the Maynaguri-Lataguri National Highway, had no security guard on duty, making it an easy target. The miscreants allegedly broke into the two cash-dispensing machines and fled with the money.
After receiving the alert, Maynaguri police immediately launched a manhunt, alerting nearby stations and mobilizing patrol units across Jalpaiguri district. The suspects attempted to flee toward Siliguri, prompting a high-speed chase. Police teams from Maynaguri, Jalpaiguri and Rajganj coordinated to intercept the vehicle.
When Rajganj police set up a barricade at the Fatapukur toll gate, the SUV made a sudden U-turn and sped towards Jalpaiguri. The chase continued through Talma to the Balacoba area, where police from the Balacoba outpost and Rajganj joined the pursuit. The suspects eventually abandoned the vehicle in the Bhorer Alo forest near Gajoldoba and escaped on foot with the cash. On Saturday, the white Scorpio was recovered by Bhorer Alo police under the Siliguri Police Commissionerate. This led to a large-scale joint search operation involving Jalpaiguri Police, Siliguri Commissionerate, the Baikunthapur Forest Division and Forest department officials.
In the early hours of Sunday, two suspects — Md. Samsher Khan (37) of Bihar and Aslup Khan (55) of Haryana — were arrested from deep inside the Baikunthapur forest. Two bags containing Rs 15.48 lakh in cash were recovered. Later in the evening, the third accused, Irfan Khan of Rajasthan, was also apprehended near Gajoldoba. Siliguri Police Commissioner C Sudhakar confirmed that the recovered vehicle would be handed over to Maynaguri police for further investigation.
Jalpaiguri Superintendent of Police Khandbahale Umesh Ganpath stated: “After more than 24 hours of intensive operations, a joint team successfully arrested three accused and recovered part of the stolen cash. The search for the remaining two is ongoing, though heavy overnight rainfall posed challenges.”
CCTV footage from the ATM has been obtained and the identities of the remaining culprits have reportedly been established. Footage has been circulated among regional police stations to aid the search. Preliminary investigations suggest the gang may have links to criminal networks in Bihar or Jharkhand, given the route taken during their escape.