Raipur
In a joint operation, the Anti-Crime and Cyber Unit along with Aamanaka police station have arrested an inter-state accused, Vishwajit Somkunwar, for allegedly tampering with ATM machines and stealing customers’ money.
Somkunwar had allegedly tampered with the IDBI Bank ATM near A to Z, Tatibandh, under the Aamanaka police station area. He would tamper with the ATM machine and steal money that got stuck for customers. The accused reportedly learned how to tamper with ATM machines from YouTube.
Before this incident, he had allegedly stolen money by tampering with ATMs at Union Bank of India, Pandri; Bank of India, Aamanaka; and Central Bank of India, Azad Chowk, all in Raipur district. He also committed similar crimes in Nagpur.
Police arrested Somkunwar from Nagpur, Maharashtra. They seized three ATM cards, nine strips, eight radium strips, one mobile phone, one pair of scissors, one rolling pin, and one bag from his possession. A case has been registered against him at Aamanaka police station under sections 331(1) and 305(E) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The case came to light when Mrs Amrita Midha, Branch Manager at IDBI Bank, Tatibandh, lodged a report at Aamanaka police station. She stated that on June 23, 2025, customers complained about unsuccessful transactions and money being debited from their accounts. Upon reviewing the CCTV footage of the ATM, it was discovered that an unknown person had technically tampered with the cash dispensing slot. This caused the money to get stuck inside, which the accused would later retrieve after the customers left.
A joint team questioned the bank manager, other staff, and customers. They also reviewed CCTV footage from the IDBI Bank ATM, which showed a suspicious person tampering with the machine and taking out money.
The team identified the suspect as Vishwajit Somkunwar, a resident of Nagpur, through technical analysis and local enquiries. A police team was dispatched to Nagpur, Maharashtra, where they apprehended him.
During interrogation, Somkunwar confessed to tampering with the ATM machine and stealing thousands of rupees. He admitted to learning the technique from YouTube and stated that he had previously committed similar thefts in Nagpur and at Union Bank of India in Pandri, Bank of India in Aamanaka, and Central Bank of India in Azad Chowk, Raipur district.
Somkunwar’s modus operandi involved attaching a black strip to the money dispensing slot of the ATM. When customers attempted to withdraw cash, the money would get stuck in the strip and not come out. Once the customer left to complain, he would take the money.
The arrested accused, Vishwajit Somkunwar, 28, son of Sanjay Somkunwar, is a resident of Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Anjani Chowk, Wardha Road, Dhantoli police station, Nagpur, Maharashtra.
