Around a week has passed since the brazen ATM robbery took place in Rudrapur, Udham Singh Nagar Police are yet to step on any clue about the identity of the criminals involved. Around five unidentified persons had uprooted an ATM machine of ICICI bank in SIDCUl, Rudrapur in Udham Singh Nagar and decamped with the machine that contained cash of around Rs7.5 lakh on June 24. This incident triggered insecurity among the people with the chinks in police’s security arrangements being exposed.
Battered with flaks they are receiving from all quarters and frustrated with no clue having come their way, when contacted Udham Singh Nagar SSP Nilesh Anand Bharne asked this correspondent to contact his PRO. “You had better ask my PRO and he would inform you the steps police are taking to crack the case. He is well-informed,” he said, while admitting that police are yet to get any breakthrough.
An observer said that police are still stumbling in the darkness about the case tells a sad story of the law-enforcers not rising to the occasion. “Security is not as tight as it should be. Besides, it confirms that there is no coordination between the police and the bank officials, something that leaves the banks and their ATMs vulnerable to loot,” said an observer.
Such a daring ATM heist has triggered panic among the people as well as the police personnel. This was the first time since the formation of the state that unidentified criminals had uprooted an ATM machine of a bank. “We are really insecure. If the criminals can rob an ATM this way one can easily imagine how secure we are,” Purnima, a resident of Rudrapur said.
Notably, the ATM was left unguarded when the robbery occurred with the security guard deputed to stand guard on it having left for personal reasons.