NOB_Kamareddy: In a major breakthrough, Kamareddy police have cracked the Gandhari SBI ATM robbery case involving Rs 25.45 lakh and arrested the main accused in Rajasthan. District SP M. Rajesh Chandra IPS disclosed the details at a press meet on Sunday.
According to police, on the intervening night of October 10/11, 2026, unidentified offenders wearing nighties, caps and masks damaged the SBI ATM on the main road at Gandhari village using a gas cutter after spraying black paint on CCTV cameras, and decamped with five cash boxes containing Rs 25,45,900. A case was registered at Gandhari Police Station in Crime No. 220/2026.
Considering the seriousness of the offence, SP M. Rajesh Chandra formed five special teams under the supervision of Ellareddy DSP Srinivas Rao. The teams included CCS Inspector Santosh Kumar, Pitlam SI Anjaneyulu, Sadashivanagar SI Pushparaj, IT Core Head Constable Srinivas and constables Srinivas, Laxmikanth and Azar.
Through CCTV analysis and technical evidence, police identified the gang was using a black Mahindra Scorpio with fake number plates. Investigation revealed that the same gang had committed two ATM thefts in Karimnagar in September 2026 using the same modus operandi.
On October 10, the accused came to Telangana again. On their way to Gandhari, they broke open a welding shop and stole an oxygen cylinder and cutting equipment, and later used it to break the Gandhari ATM.
After the offence, they fled towards Maharashtra and Rajasthan. Kamareddy police alerted Rajasthan police. During vehicle checking at Chechat in Rajasthan, police tried to stop the Scorpio with barricades. After its tyre got damaged, the accused abandoned the vehicle and escaped with the cash bag.
Continuing the hunt in Rajasthan, Kamareddy special teams nabbed the prime accused Rasheed (30), S/o Halam, native of Rajasthan, on October 20 at around 5 PM near Barodamev on Bharatpur Road while he was waiting for a bus. He was brought to Kamareddy on a transit warrant.
On October 21, police recovered the abandoned black Scorpio from Chechat PS and seized gas cutting equipment, iron knives and other tools hidden inside.
Seized Property: Rs 29,400 cash, 2 mobile phones, Scorpio vehicle, gas cutter nozzle, oxygen cylinder, regulator, pipes, iron rods, screwdriver, spanner, hacksaw blades, fake number plates, masks, and 3 knives.
The accused will be produced before the court on October 26. The search is on for the absconding accused, the SP said. The SP appreciated the special teams for cracking the inter-state gang within a short time.
