The last morning of year 2015 came as a big challenge for Hazaribagh police but as the day passed it is now almost clear that the first day of 2016 is going to be a day of pride for the entire police team of Hazaribagh district.
In the morning at about 7:30 a.m. the branch manager of State Bank of India, Demotand branch, informed police that the shutter of their bank’s ATM is open, its locks are broken. Police team immediately rushed to the spot. SP Akhilesh Jha also reached there within half an hour and started investigating the matter.
When police entered into the ATM, there was no sign of any damage done with the machine. Meanwhile the locks of the shutter were found behind the shop just adjacent to the bank. All staff of the bank arrived after getting this information and in presence of them the cash box of ATM was opened which was found empty. The branch manager said that more than Rs 38 lakhs were in this cash box.
SP Jha immediately concluded that since the cash box can be opened only with the help of secret code number, some members of the staff might be involved in the crime.
Bank manager informed that yester evening officer duo of the bank named Ratan Sahay and Pradeep Kumar had opened the cash box and filled Rs 30 lakhs in it.
Police started interrogating both the officials and in talks the name of Suraj Ram, sweeper of the bank, came, who had entered in the ATM when the officers were filling cash in the cash box. Suraj Ram was absent today so police team rushed to his house situated in Sirsi village of Katkamdag block.
From his residence police recovered Rs 13.48 lakhs hidden beneath the soil. After taking Suraj in custody police then started interrogating him and the whole story became clear.
Suraj accepted that he remembered the secret code of the cash box when the officers opened it and then with the help of his two friends at night between 2:30 to 3 a.m. entered into the ATM breaking the locks of the shutter.
In the evening a police team rushed to Karma village of Kuju block of Ramgarh district from where an ally of Suraj named Badal Kumar was arrested and more than Rs 13 lakhs were recovered. SP Jha has said that two-third of the stolen amount has been recovered and within 24 hours the rest amount will also be recovered. We are trying to nab the third culprit and by tonight he will be in our grips.
The ATM of this bank opens only during banking hours. In the morning when the neighbors of this bank saw the shutter up then they informed the guard Md. Khurshid who first gave the information to his branch manager.
The most tragic moment came in this entire episode when the police team and SP himself came to know that 31st December is the last day of service of officer Ratan Sahay. On the last day of his service he had to pass through the moments of anxiety and fear for a deed in which he was not involved.