Robbers loot 54 lakhs from government bank ATM

Siliguri, West Bengal: Following a similar incident in Jalpaiguri, miscreants targeted an ATM of a government bank at Champasari turn under Pradhan Nagar police station last night, allegedly looting money by cutting open two ATM machines with a gas cutter. The exact amount of cash stolen is yet to be determined, but the thieves, believed to have arrived in a four-wheeler, fled the scene immediately after the robbery.

Siliguri Metropolitan Police have initiated a comprehensive investigation, including collecting and reviewing CCTV footage from various toll gates to trace the culprits. An alert has been issued to police stations across Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, and North Dinajpur districts as part of the ongoing efforts to apprehend the gang.

This incident bears a striking resemblance to a recent ATM robbery in Maynaguri block, Jalpaiguri district, where approximately ₹54 lakh was stolen from a government bank ATM. In that case, police have successfully arrested four individuals and recovered about ₹15 lakh, though a fifth suspect remains at large. The repeated nature of these high-tech ATM thefts raises concerns about the increasing sophistication of criminal operations in the region.