Malad: Mumbai Police arrest duo trained in ATM thefts in Uttar Pradesh

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The Mumbai police has apprehended two persons, who, due to poverty, resorted to training in Uttar Pradesh to execute ATM thefts as a means to earn quick money.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Deepak Kumar Maurya and Deepak Saroj. Both have been remanded in police custody by the court pending further investigation.

The incident occurred when the QRT team of a private bank in the Malad area received a video two days ago depicting two individuals tampering with an ATM.

Promptly, the bank notified the police, leading to the arrival of Malad police at the scene. Maurya was arrested during the police operation, and subsequent interrogation revealed Saroj's involvement.

Under the direction of Senior Inspector Ravindra Adane, Deputy Inspector Tushar Sukhadeve led a team comprising officers Satwase, Juwatkar, Gawand, Kate, and Doifode to further investigate the matter.

Upon receiving intelligence that Saroj was hiding near the Dahisar East railway track, the police laid a trap and successfully apprehended him.

Both Saroj and Maurya hail from Pratapgad, Uttar Pradesh, where they underwent training on ATM theft techniques under the guidance of an individual.

They practiced the theft method with a bandage in Pratapgad before venturing to Mumbai approximately ten days ago to execute their plan.

In Mumbai, they successfully carried out thefts at multiple ATM locations by tampering with the machines. They intended to return to Uttar Pradesh after dividing the stolen proceeds evenly between them.

Preliminary investigations suggest that both individuals have a prior criminal record, and their arrest is expected to help solve several cases.

Meanwhile, a Kandivali hotelier has received a threatening phone call, demanding an extortion sum of Rs 5 lakh in the name of an underworld figure, police said on Tuesday.

Kandivali police has registered a case against the unidentified caller, while the crime branch has initiated an investigation into the matter.

The victim, a hotelier residing in Kandivali, was on his way to a hospital in Bandra with his wife on Monday afternoon when he received a call from an unfamiliar number.

Initially, he disregarded the call, prioritizing his wife's urgent medical needs. However, a subsequent call from the same number escalated the situation.

The caller, speaking in Hindi, claimed underworld affiliation and asserted possessing detailed information about the victim. A demand for Rs 5 lakh was made, accompanied by a strict deadline the following morning, with warnings of dire consequences if the amount was not promptly arranged.

Following the phone call, the victim received two threatening messages on his mobile device later in the afternoon. After tending to his wife's medical needs and returning home, he promptly reported the incident to the Kandivali police station.

A case against the unknown caller was registered, and investigation started.

A police official from the Kandivali police station assured, "We take such threats seriously and are leaving no stone unturned in our investigation to identify and apprehend the perpetrator."