Jaipur: Police probing the Rs 42 lakh robbery outside a Bank of India ATM near Jaipur’s Akshaypatra Temple suspect the heist may have been planned with insider information from a bank employee, pointing to what investigators believe was a staged strike rather than a chance hold-up.A 22-year-old woman, Ashu Kumari Jatav of Lalpur village in Nadbai, Bharatpur, was arrested Wednesday after police recovered Rs 26.8 lakh of the stolen cash from her rented accommodation in Shri Kishanpura, DCP (East) Ranjeeta Sharma said.Sharma said police suspect the involvement of a bank employee in the robbery and are likely to arrest another accused soon.Two motorcycle-borne men had robbed three bank employees at gunpoint after they withdrew around Rs 42 lakh from the ATM. Investigators suspect the robbers knew the cash movement, the withdrawal timing and the lack of security at the spot.The ATM had accumulated a large amount of cash after three consecutive holidays. Though bank officials changed withdrawal timings randomly, police believe the accused had access to specific information about when cash would be removed.Investigators examined nearly 1,000 CCTV cameras along possible escape routes and prepared a route map. The footage helped identify vehicles and persons seen near the ATM and suggested that the accused had conducted a recce before the robbery.During the CCTV scan, police found Ashu’s movements suspicious. The East district special team kept her under surveillance, traced her rented accommodation in Shri Kishanpura and questioned her.Police said Ashu was in a relationship with Mastram Meena of Masalpura in Karauli. Mastram allegedly told her that cash was regularly withdrawn from the ATM, usually by women accompanied by a man, and that there was no security guard at the location.Mastram then allegedly introduced Ashu to Pushpendra Meena alias Pussi and Sumit Jangam, both from Karauli. Police said the three planned the robbery at Ashu’s rented room.A day before the robbery, Ashu allegedly inspected the ATM and told the others that the location was suitable. On Monday, when the bank employees arrived around 10.30am, she allegedly alerted her associates and left the spot.Two men then allegedly robbed the cash at gunpoint while another accomplice waited in a car. Police said the cash was shifted to the car and divided into two parts. One portion was taken to Ashu’s room, where she allegedly changed clothes and the money was kept in a suitcase.Police recovered Rs 26.8 lakh from the room. Searches are on for Mastram, Pushpendra and Sumit. Investigators suspect the robbery was planned to repay debts.
