Robbers try to loot ATM; old gang's role suspected

The attempt of three miscreants to decamp with money from an ATM machine at Sodepur in North 24 Parganas has once again brought to light the activities of the gang that had been committing the crime for the past two years in different parts of the state.

Police said that three miscreants attempted to break open an ATM machine of a nationalised bank to steal the cash. They even threatened its security guard, Ramprasad Shaw, with dire consequence if he tried to stop them.

Initially Shaw didn't tell them anything and allowed them to enter the ATM as they were carrying firearms. The situation for the miscreants turned worse when Shaw suddenly started shouting in order to alert local people.

Realising that they might get caught if they delayed further, the miscreants left the ATM machine after managing to break it open partly. But before leaving the spot, they beat up Shaw.

The incident led to panic in the area. Police initiated a probe in this connection and are suspecting that the same gang, which was involved in the Sinthi ATM loot case, was also behind this incident. It may be recalled that a series of incidents of ATM loot had taken place in Domjur in Howrah, Madhyamgram and Dum Dum in North 24 Parganas, Sinthee in Kolkata and Serampore in Hooghly. Investigating officers have calculated that the total amount that has been stolen from the ATMs is more than Rs 1 crore. The police had arrested Sk Kalam, who is a resident of Pilkhana in Howrah, in connection with the different incidents of ATM loot. Police came to know that Kalam along with his associates from Hyderabad was involved in 13 incidents of ATM loot that took place within a span of one month in different parts of the state in mid 2016.

Police suspect that some members of the same gang is behind the incident at Sodepur.