CCTV helps nab cheque thief

29 June,2010 09:08 AM IST |   |  Manjunath L Hanji

Accused had earlier robbed gold ornaments to pay back Rs 2.5 lakh loan before moving to Bangalore.


Accused had earlier robbed gold ornaments to pay back Rs 2.5 lakh loan before moving to Bangalore.

The Commercial Street police have arrested M Sunil (32), in connection with an ATM centre robbery, with the help of CCTV footage.

Sunil, an LIC agent, had broken the check box at an ATM, and had stolen five cheques worth Rs 6 lakh. He had earlier robbed a finance center in 2007, and had successfully evaded the police.


Cheques bobbed

Sunil had come to Bangalore from Shimoga in search of a job in 2006. He used to visit LIC offices, and while doing so, had made many contacts there. So, he got his agent's licence from LIC.
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Sunil broke the drop box of a bank in Commercial Street and stole five cheques worth Rs 6 lakh.


Sunil was aware that ATM drop boxes usually have cheques of high value. So, on June 21, he broke the drop box of HDFC bank in Commercial Street limits and stole five cheques worth Rs 6 lakh.

But he overlooked the fact that the CCTV installed in the ATM kiosk would also be covering the area where the drop box was kept.

When bank officials came to know of this, they filed a complaint with the police. The cops, in turn, obtained the CCTV footage, and nabbed him within two days. Sunil has confessed to his crime.

Earlier crimes

In 2007, Sunil had taken a loan of Rs 2.5 lakh from Shri Ram Finances, a finance company.
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Soon after realising that he could not repay them, he stole gold ornaments worth Rs 5 lakh from the same company, repaid them, and shifted his base to Bangalore. He was never caught, until now.

He told the police, "I was unable to repay the loan. I was afraid the finance company might harass my family. That's why I stole the jewellery."

He used the remaining amount on his marriage and honeymoon.
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But the money was running out fast, and by now, he was used to a lavish lifestyle. He tried working at a garment shop, but soon realised he could not make enough money this way.

S Badrinath, PI, Commercial Street police station told MiD DAY, "He had already converted Rs 3.5 lakh to his account. We have recovered some documents and sent him to judicial custody."

ATM Disappears

In what could be a first crime of its kind in the state, a gang disappeared with a bank's ATM in Anekal police limits last month, hoodwinking two security guards on duty.

The two security men, Nanjappa and Srinivasa, who were guarding the ATM, were fast asleep when the incident took place at Chandrapura Main Road between 1.30 am and 6 am.
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They woke up to find the ATM machine missing and called up the police.
The duo claims they heard no sound when the machine was stolen from the adjacent room.

Police sources said they believed the theft had been committed by a gang of five to six people, who appear to have escaped with the ATM in a mini lorry.
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Also, they seemed to be a bit tech-savvy as they knew that cutting the power supply would halt the machine's functions and even the alarm wouldn't work.

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Bangalore robbed gold ornaments CCTV footage