₹12 lakh stolen in Faridabad ATM robbery; 'mastermind' cop among 5 held

Faridabad Police have apprehended five people, including a serving Delhi Police constable, in connection with the theft of over ₹12 lakh from two automated teller machines (ATMs) in the region. The arrests were made on August 3 and 4, following an intensive investigation that utilized footage from over 1,000 CCTV cameras.

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During interrogation, it was revealed that Delhi Police constable Hukam Chand is the gang's mastermind.

The robberies, which occurred on July 3 and July 26, involved the perpetrators using gas cutters to forcibly open the ATM machines and abscond with the cash. The first incident saw ₹6.53 lakh stolen from an ATM at Bhupani Mod, while the second theft involved ₹5.71 lakh taken from an ATM in Sector 58.

According to police, the alleged mastermind behind these operations is Delhi Police constable Hukam Chand, 34, who reportedly conspired with his nephew Arvind, 26, to carry out the thefts due to mounting debts. Chand, who joined the Delhi Police in 2016 and was assigned to PCR duty in Bijwasan, allegedly identified ATMs belonging to private firms that lacked robust security and were not guarded at night.

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Burdened by debt, he conspired with his nephew Arvind to steal from an ATM by cutting it open. The duo enlisted Vikas and Raju who worked as gas welders to carry out the theft.

Chand provided the necessary equipment, including a gas cutter, and briefed Vikas Kumar, 24, and another individual identified as Raju, on the plan. Vikas and Raju, who are described as gas welders, executed the first robbery at Bhupani Mod. Raju has since been arrested in Bihar in connection with a motorcycle theft case and will be brought to Faridabad on a production warrant. Vikas reportedly severed ties with Chand after the initial heist.

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The main accused Hukam Chand was recruited into Delhi Police in 2016. He was deployed on PCR duty in Bijwasan.

Needing additional accomplices, Chand then enlisted his brother Vishal and Abhishek Kumar, both 19 and from Bihar's Siwan district, to assist in the second robbery. The group successfully stole ₹5.71 lakh from the Sector 58 ATM on the night of July 26. The arrested individuals also include Vishal Kumar and Abhishek Kumar, along with Arvind. The police are continuing their investigation into the full extent of the gang's activities.

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Chand was allegedly aware that certain private ATMs did not have security guards at night, and their security systems were not very robust, thus targeting those specific ATMs.