Nagpur: A gang of suspected interstate ATM thieves struck at Dongargaon in Hingna taluka in the early hours of Tuesday, cutting open a Bank of India ATM and escaping with Rs13.47 lakh in cash.Police suspect the four-member gang may be the same group that unsuccessfully attempted to break into an ATM at Hudkeshwar earlier in the night. The accused allegedly fled after an alarm was triggered.According to investigators, the thieves entered the ATM kiosk between 4.19am and 4.31am and used a gas cutter to breach the machine’s vault. They allegedly emptied eight cash cassettes from two ATM machines before fleeing.The stolen amount comprised Rs77,600 from four cassettes of one ATM and Rs12.69 lakh from four cassettes of the other.Based on a complaint lodged by Swapnil Gabhne (38), a resident of New Ganesh Nagar, Bahadura, Hingna police registered a case against four unidentified persons under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.Police teams are analysing CCTV footage from the ATM kiosk and nearby locations to identify the accused. Forensic experts have also examined the scene, while investigators are probing possible links between the Dongargaon heist and the failed ATM break-in attempt at Hudkeshwar.Assistant sub-inspector Vijay Kalaskar of Hingna police is leading the investigation. Police suspect the gang may be from Haryana and are pursuing multiple leads to trace the culprits.
