Chhattisgarh ATM heist case: Three held in Raigarh district

Raigarh: Police have arrested three persons in connection with the August 9 ATM heist of Rs 26.65 lakh in Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh, an officer said on Sunday. Three of the total eight accused were apprehended from Tamnar police station area on Saturday night, said Raigarh Superintendent of Police Rajesh Agrawal.

Remaining five accused, including the mastermind Nandu Sahu, are on the run.

Police have recovered Rs 7.76 lakh, two new motorcycles and a mobile phone, collectively worth Rs 1.50 lakh, from the accused, he said. A gang had uprooted the ATM of the State Bank of India from its kiosk near Circuit House in Raigarh in the wee hours of August 9 and shifted it to nearby Hamirpur forest in a vehicle, he said.

"They prised open the ATM and stole Rs 26.65 lakh," the SP said, adding that the accused shared the loot among themselves. The arrested persons are identified as Suresh Gupta (35), Parmeshwar Bhagat (23) and Kartik Bhagat (30), Agrawal said, adding that the dismantled ATM machine has been recovered from the forest.