Steephan Kayyar

Daijiworld Media Network-Kasargod (RJP)

Kasargod, Aug 23: Kasargod police under the leadership of police superintendent Dr Srinivas have managed to arrest a service engineer who used to steal money from ATMs. The arrest has solved a mystery of thefts which had become a head ache for the banks and police in the recent past.

C G Vinod (25) from Kochi is the person arrested.

As per details, Badiyadka police had registered a case regarding a theft which had taken place at Canara bank ATM at Badiyadka on May 9 this year. The amount missing from the ATM on that day was Rs 84,000.

The police initially did not suspect the service engineer who had come to repair the ATM. But when they thought the service engineer could have been involved, they called him to ‘service’ the ATM and subjected him to interrogation. The smart service engineer ultimately admitted to the Badiyadka theft.

Further investigations revealed some extra ‘services’ rendered by Vinod. He admitted to some other thefts which included thefts of Rs 2 lac at SBT bank Hosadurga in June 2014 and Rs 50,000 at Kerala rural bank Udinoor in March this year.

Vinod was responsible for services of ATM machines in Kasargod and Kannur districts. It was very difficult for anybody to suspect Vinod as he erased the video images from the hard disc after the thefts.

A key and digital passwords are used to open ATM machine in front of bank manager for service purposes. Vinod would return the key once the service was done. But he would memorize the password. He would make a duplicate key later and use the memorised password to steal money from the ATM. Then he would walk out after erasing the video images.

Vinod has been sent to 15 days judicial custody and more details are expected after further investigations. Some sources said that he is involved in more than 25 ATM thefts.