Ludhiana Commissionerate Police have successfully dismantled an organised inter-district ATM-breaking gang. The kingpin of this gang is already facing 21 criminal cases, including murder and other serious offences. The six-member gang from Amritsar had been targeting ATMs across Punjab.
The police teams arrested two key operatives and recovered a .32 bore pistol with two live cartridges, an industrial gas cutter set, a gas cylinder, a portable cutting machine, and a PB-registered Maruti Suzuki Ertiga getaway vehicle from them.
Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana, Swapan Sharma, informed that the arrests follow a criminal attempt during the intervening night of May 19 and 20, near Noorwala Road, Shivpuri Chowk.
While the suspects were cutting an ATM vault, an electrical short circuit triggered a fire, forcing them to flee. Intercepted by a PCR Tango-6 patrol team, the suspects opened direct fire on the police personnel to evade arrest.
Consequently, an FIR dated May 20, 2026, was registered at Basti Jodhewal police station under relevant sections of the BNS.
The CP informed that, using advanced technical and electronic intelligence, police teams first apprehended Jasminder Singh alias Jass on May 25, along with the getaway vehicle.
His disclosure revealed that a six-member gang from Amritsar had travelled to Ludhiana to target the ATM. Acting on his pointers, police raided a hideout on June 2, and arrested the second core operative, Deepak Kumar alias Deepu Bihari, recovering the weapon used against the PCR team directly from his possession.
The Commissioner further informed that the gang conducted daytime reconnaissance of isolated ATMs and targeted them at night using high-temperature gas cutters.
They have confessed to multiple ATM robberies across Ludhiana, Jalandhar and other districts of Punjab.
Sharma informed that Deepak Kumar alias Deepu Bihari is a resident of Sultanwind, Amritsar. He is a habitual offender with 21 registered cases between 2007 and 2022, including charges of attempt to murder (Section 307 IPC), murder (Section 302 IPC), robbery, and violations under the Arms Act, Prison Act and NDPS Act across Amritsar and Bathinda.
The second accused, Jasminder Singh alias Jass, is a resident of Tarn Taran Road, Amritsar. No FIRs had been registered against him before this targeted string of incidents.
Sharma said that the preliminary interrogation has successfully helped resolve five major inter-district cases that were lying untraced, including cases registered at Jalandhar Cantt police station; Rama Mandi police station, Jalandhar; Sadar Phagwara police station; and two cases at Jodhewal police station, Ludhiana. The accused had stolen over Rs 20 lakh in these cases.
He informed that the accused are being produced before the court to obtain extended police remand for deeper interrogation, asset recovery and to trace financial forward linkages. Special teams are actively raiding suspected hideouts to arrest the four remaining absconding accomplices.
DCP Crime Harpal Singh, ADCP Crime Amandeep Brar, ADCP-I Sameer Verma, ACP Crime Harshpreet Singh and others were also present.
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