Agencies | Siliguri | June 25, 2025: In a significant breakthrough, the Anti-Crime Wing of Pradhannagar Police in Siliguri has arrested three members of the notorious Mewat gang from Haryana in connection with the daring ATM robbery that occurred in the Champasari area on June 19. The accused—identified as Mohammad Israel, Javed Khan, and Mohammad Khurshid, all residents of Haryana—are part of an interstate criminal network infamous for its involvement in thefts, ATM break-ins, and armed robberies across multiple states.
The incident took place around 2 a.m. in the Jyoti Nagar locality near Champasari More, when a group of criminals used gas cutters to break into both the cash withdrawal and deposit machines of a state-owned bank’s ATM. The robbers looted approximately ₹10.5 lakh in cash before fleeing the scene in a white car with altered number plates to avoid detection. During the robbery, the gang rendered the ATM’s internal CCTV inoperative by spraying its lens with black paint. However, a young woman residing opposite the ATM managed to capture footage of the act on her mobile phone, providing crucial leads to investigators.
Immediately after the robbery, the police launched a high-priority investigation. The gang had split up post-heist, with some fleeing back to Haryana and others remaining in and around Siliguri to evade capture. Acting on a combination of digital surveillance, mobile tracking, and local intelligence, police first arrested Mohammad Khurshid from Nuh district in Haryana. He was brought to Siliguri on a transit remand after being produced in a Haryana court.
Subsequent interrogation of Khurshid led the police to the whereabouts of the remaining two accused, Israel and Javed, who were apprehended on the night of June 23 from the Salugara Shantinagar area under the jurisdiction of Bhaktinagar Police Station. Over ₹3 lakh of stolen cash has so far been recovered from the accused.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Bishwa Chand Thakur, addressing the media, confirmed the sequence of arrests and noted that investigations are still ongoing to map the movements of the suspects before and after the robbery within Siliguri and nearby areas. He further stated that police are actively searching for the white car used in the crime.
BD Sarkar, Inspector-in-Charge of Pradhannagar Police Station, expressed his dissatisfaction with the bank involved, citing serious lapses in cooperation. “We faced delays in tracking down the culprits due to the bank’s reluctance to cooperate. Shockingly, we had to forcibly lodge the FIR. This lack of assistance significantly hampered the initial phase of our investigation,” he said.
All three accused were produced in Siliguri court on Tuesday and have been remanded to ten days of police custody for further interrogation. Authorities are continuing their efforts to uncover the broader network behind the robbery and to recover the remaining stolen funds.
This case underscores the continued threat posed by organized interstate criminal gangs like the Mewat gang and highlights the necessity of coordinated action between police units across states, timely cooperation from financial institutions, and the role of civilian vigilance in tackling modern-day crime.
