Bhubaneswar: Most-wanted ATM looter Sambhav Acharya (34) has been again arrested along with his aide, Jiten Bosak (30), in Bhubaneswar following a theft complaint.
According to police sources, the duo struck when one Bhikari Mahakuda was withdrawing money from an ATM of a bank outlet under Khandagiri police limits on November 5 and tactfully changed his ATM card. Before he could realise the theft and block the card, the accused withdrew Rs 40,000 from his account.
On the basis of a complaint lodged by the victim, Khandagiri police nabbed the duo on Thursday. A motorcycle, two mobile phones and Rs 40,000 in cash were seized from their possession.
Police further said that the accused were involved in several ATM thefts in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, and Nimapara. They mostly targeted elderly people, robbed them of their ATM cards and then withdraw money using those.
Sambhav, a native of Krushnapur Sasan within Balichandrapur police limits in Jajpur district, was earlier arrested for similar offence in 2020 and 2017. He was also arrested by Sakinaka Police of Mumbai from a high-end hotel in Andheri in September 2018 for ATM thefts in the western suburbs. He used to fly in and out of Mumbai to evade arrest. He has constructed huge buildings in many places with the theft money, sources said.