KOCHI: The police have registered three more cases against the Uttar Pradesh native who had allegedly tampered with ATMs of South Indian Bank (SIB) and siphoned off money in Kochi and Ernakulam Rural police limits. The fresh cases were registered based on complaints of SIB managers. The case was first detected when Mubarak Ali Ansari, 43, of Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, withdrew Rs 25,000 from an SIB ATM at Kalamassery by inserting a rubber strip inside cash dispensing opening of the machine. He waited outside the ATM after installing the rubber strip.
The customers after completing the transactions failed to receive money. When they left the place, the accused retrieved money by removing the strip. The police managed to arrest the accused from Edappally three days after the incident. During investigation, the police found that the accused had targeted three more ATMs of SIB.
A case each has been registered in the regard at Ernakulam Central, Vadakkekara and Kadavanthra police stations.“After tampering with the ATM at Kalamassery, the accused was involved in a similar money loss reported from the SIB ATM on August 22 and August 23 at Vyttila. Mubarak took Rs 25,000 after tampering with the ATM at Vyttila. In a similar fashion, te accused targeted the SIB ATM at Andipillikavu near Chendamanagalam on August 23 and managed to retrieve Rs 21,500 from seven transactions. For this, a case has been registered at Vadakkekara police station,” a police officer said.
In the last attempt before he was caught, the accused targeted the SIB ATM at Pookaramuku in Kochi on August. The accused managed to retrieve Rs 7,500 from the ATM.According to the police, Mubarak’s separate arrest in these new cases will be recorded soon. Currently, the accused is in judicial custody.
Recently, Mubarak moved a bail petition at the Ernakulam Additional Sessions Court in the case registered at Kalamassery police station. However, the court on Wednesday dismissed his petition.
“The offence alleged against the accused is very serious in nature. The case is under investigation. Granting of bail at this stage may affect smooth progress of the investigation and possibility of influencing the witnesses and interfering with the investigation cannot be ruled out,” Additional Sessions Court Judge Shibu Thomas observed.