Rajkot: Two men from Bhopal were arrested for stealing Rs 90,000 from the cash counters of five banks using a sleight-of-hand trick, despite the presence of security guards and CCTV cameras.Mahesh Gurjar, 25, and Saurabh Kushwaha, 26, were apprehended by A Division police, who recovered the stolen cash and registered five complaints of theft against them, under Section 303(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. DCP Zone 1 Hetal Patel said the duo posed as customers seeking to exchange currency. “They would go to a bank and ask to exchange a bundle of Rs 200 notes for Rs 500 notes,” Patel said. While engaging the cashier in conversation, Gurjar would discreetly slip out Rs 10,000 worth of Rs 500 notes from the new bundle. He then returned the remaining notes, claiming he needed specific serial numbers, and took back his original Rs 200 notes. By the time the cashier noticed the shortage, the two had already left. They targeted private banks and small finance banks in the jurisdictions of A Division, Gandhigram and Rajkot taluka police stations. After multiple complaints, police formed several teams. A Division police received intelligence that the suspects were near Shastri Maidan, leading to their arrest. During interrogation, Gurjar said he claimed the currency was needed for a wedding, telling staff that the groom required a garland made of notes with specific numbers. The probe showed Gurjar executed the thefts while Kushwaha acted as a lookout. Gurjar also has a fraud case registered against him in Odisha. Police said they used a two-wheeler with a Madhya Pradesh registration plate to travel between banks. CCTV footage from the banks and the vehicle’s numberplate helped identify the suspects. Police are now checking whether they carried out similar crimes in other cities.
