Alwar Police bust interstate ATM theft gang, recover ₹4.92 lakh machine
Synopsis
An ATM was physically ripped from the ground at Rathi Market, Alwar — and the gang behind it operated across three states. Alwar Police traced the suspects through hundreds of CCTV feeds and Cyclone Cell intelligence, ultimately recovering the machine and exposing a criminal network linked to ATM heists in Agra, Palwal, and Hisar.
Key Takeaways
Alwar District Police and the DST busted an interstate ATM theft gang on 24 June , arresting two accused .
The stolen ATM from Rathi Market contained ₹4,92,500 in cash at the time of theft on 17 June .
Recovered items include the damaged ATM machine, an Eicher tractor , and a motorcycle allegedly used in the crime.
Accused Hambir Singh (42) has 14 prior criminal cases ; Kamlesh Kumar Meena (36) has 7 prior cases across Rajasthan police stations.
The gang reportedly confessed to ATM thefts in Agra, Palwal , and Hisar , and tractor thefts in Uttar Pradesh and Faridabad .
CCTV analysis across Rajasthan and Haryana and intelligence from the Cyclone Cell were key to cracking the case.
Alwar District Police and the District Special Team (DST) have dismantled an interstate ATM theft gang, arresting two accused and recovering a stolen ATM machine — containing ₹4,92,500 in cash — from Rathi Market under the Udyog Nagar Police Station jurisdiction. The breakthrough came on 24 June, days after the machine was physically uprooted and carted away on the night of 17 June.
How the Theft Unfolded
On the night of 17 June, unidentified criminals targeted an ATM installed at Rathi Market, Alwar. The gang tied the machine with ropes and chains, used a vehicle to wrench it from the ground, loaded it onto a larger vehicle, and fled. The ATM held ₹4,92,500 in cash at the time of the theft. A complaint lodged by the bank administration prompted the registration of a case and a formal investigation.
Notably, the gang deployed a distinctive modus operandi: a local associate was used solely to survey and identify the target location. Fearing detection, the gang deliberately excluded this local contact from the actual theft operation — a calculated step to minimise exposure.
The Investigation and Breakthrough
Special teams were constituted under Station House Officer (SHO) Bhupendra Singh, drawing personnel from Udyog Nagar Police Station, the DST, and the Cyclone Cell. Investigators combed through footage from hundreds of CCTV cameras along major highways and routes spanning Rajasthan and Haryana. Human intelligence inputs, combined with technical analysis by the Cyclone Cell, eventually led investigators to the suspects. A subsequent raid yielded the damaged ATM machine, an Eicher tractor, and a motorcycle — vehicles allegedly used in the crime.
The operation was carried out under the supervision of Additional Superintendent of Police Dr Deepak Kumar and Ramgarh Circle Officer Pintu Kumar, according to Alwar Superintendent of Police Sudhir Chaudhary.
The Accused: Who They Are
The two men arrested are Hambir Singh (42), son of Tej Singh, a resident of Garauli village under Januthar Police Station in Deeg district, and Kamlesh Kumar Meena (36), son of Harphool Meena, a resident of Birpur village under Tahla Police Station in Alwar district.
Police described both as habitual offenders with extensive criminal histories. Hambir Singh has 14 prior cases registered against him across multiple police stations in Rajasthan, covering theft, Arms Act, and Excise Act violations. Kamlesh Kumar Meena has seven prior cases at Tahla and Baswa police stations, including offences related to the Electricity Act, assault, and rioting.
Criminal Network Across Three States
During preliminary interrogation, both accused reportedly admitted to stealing three tractors from Uttar Pradesh and Faridabad. They also allegedly confessed to involvement in ATM theft cases in Agra (Uttar Pradesh), Palwal, and Hisar (Haryana) — indicating a criminal footprint spanning Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
The Police Team Behind the Bust
The ground operation involved SHO Bhupendra Singh, ASI Mahesh Chand, and Constables Saddam and Rakesh from Udyog Nagar Police Station. DST Units 1 and 2 — led by SI Dhirendra Singh and including ASIs Harvilas, Jagveer, Kasam Khan, and Jaan Mohammad — played a central role in tracking and apprehending the accused. Technical surveillance was led by Cyclone Cell personnel including Head Constable Sandeep Kumar and Constables Sanjay and Amit. Police credited the precise intelligence inputs from DST ASIs Kasam Khan and Jaan Mohammad as particularly significant to the operation's success.
With the gang dismantled and cross-state links confirmed, investigators are expected to probe further connections to unsolved ATM theft cases across the region.
Point of View
Cross-state property crime that exploits jurisdictional seams between Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. The gang's deliberate exclusion of the local scout from the actual theft reflects operational sophistication that routine policing often struggles to anticipate. What stands out here is the Cyclone Cell's role — multi-agency technical cells are proving more effective than conventional beat policing in tracking mobile criminal networks. The real question is whether inter-state coordination mechanisms are robust enough to prevent the next gang from simply relocating and resuming operations.
NationPress
25 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Alwar ATM theft case?
On the night of 17 June, an interstate gang physically uprooted an ATM machine from Rathi Market in Alwar, which contained ₹4,92,500 in cash. Alwar District Police and the DST arrested two accused and recovered the machine, along with an Eicher tractor and a motorcycle allegedly used in the crime.
Who were the accused arrested in the Alwar ATM theft?
The two arrested accused are Hambir Singh (42), a resident of Garauli village in Deeg district, and Kamlesh Kumar Meena (36), a resident of Birpur village in Alwar district. Both have extensive criminal histories, with 14 and 7 prior cases registered against them respectively.
How did Alwar Police crack the ATM theft case?
Police reviewed footage from hundreds of CCTV cameras across Rajasthan and Haryana, and used human intelligence and technical analysis by the Cyclone Cell to trace the suspects. Special teams from Udyog Nagar Police Station, the DST, and the Cyclone Cell worked jointly on the investigation.
Which other states were the accused linked to?
During interrogation, the accused reportedly confessed to ATM thefts in Agra (Uttar Pradesh), Palwal and Hisar (Haryana), and tractor thefts in Uttar Pradesh and Faridabad. The criminal network reportedly spans Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
What was the modus operandi of the ATM theft gang?
The gang used a local associate only to survey and identify the target location, deliberately keeping him out of the actual theft to avoid detection. They then tied the ATM with ropes or chains, used a vehicle to pull it from the ground, loaded it onto a larger vehicle, and fled the scene.
