Buxar/Sasaram: A suspected interstate gang used gas cutters to break open two ATMs in neighbouring Buxar and Rohtas districts late on Saturday night, decamping with more than Rs 42 lakh in cash. Rohtas police suspect the same gang was behind both incidents and believe the second strike was carried out while police were tracking the suspects after the first theft.
The first incident took place at a Bank of India ATM at Chausa Yadav Mor in Buxar, where criminals allegedly stole around Rs 10 lakh. The ATM is located barely 200 metres from a police station. Police said the gang sprayed paint on CCTV cameras before using a gas cutter to slice open the machine and remove cash from the vault.
Mufassil SHO Shambhu Bhagat said police were informed after the theft. “The accused had escaped before our arrival. CCTV footage from nearby areas is being examined and further investigation is underway,” he said.
Soon afterwards, the gang allegedly struck again at an Axis Bank ATM near the bus stand on Buxar Road in Kochas, Rohtas, escaping with Rs 32 lakh. The ATM kiosk was unattended at the time.
Rohtas SDPO Sanjeev Kumar said Kochas police had received information about criminals travelling in an SUV after the Buxar theft. While police teams were attempting to track them, the gang allegedly carried out the second robbery.
Police said the criminals used specialised equipment, including a gas cutter, to force open the ATM before fleeing. The breakthrough came when the suspects’ SUV developed a mechanical fault near Chandauli in Uttar Pradesh. The gang abandoned the vehicle and escaped.
Chandauli police recovered the SUV and handed it over to Kochas police. Police seized a gas cutter, angle grinder, hydraulic spreader, jack and heavy-duty chains from the vehicle, strengthening suspicions that the gang had planned the operation in advance.
Both ATM kiosks have been sealed and forensic and technical investigations are underway. Police are examining CCTV footage and other evidence to identify the accused.
The twin robberies have once again raised concerns over ATM security in the region, particularly as a similar gas-cutter ATM theft in Chausa in Nov 2025 remains unsolved.
