Adilabad I Town police arrested a 33-year-old hotel worker from Odisha for attempting to break into an ATM at Punjab Chowk.
Hyderabad: Adilabad I Town police arrested a 33-year-old hotel worker from Odisha for attempting to break into an ATM at Punjab Chowk.
Police said the accused, Biplab Kumar Jena, had been staying at a lodge in the town since September 3. A former hotel worker in West Bengal, Jena boarded a train from Kharagpur on September 1, reached Adilabad, and rented a lodge near the ATM. “He conducted a week-long recce, planning to break open the ATM dispenser and escape with the cash. A timely alert from bank staff ensured the money remained safe,” officials said.
On September 8, Jena scouted the area again and picked up an iron rod from the railway station and, at about 1.20 am the next day, attempted to force open the ATM, triggering the alarm and siren, which forced him to flee.
The branch manager lodged a complaint, providing photographic evidence. Three police teams were formed. Within 10 minutes, patrols spotted the accused trying to board a train to escape. After a short chase, he was apprehended.
Police recovered the iron rod, a mobile phone and an ATM card from him. Investigations revealed Jena had earlier worked in hotels and bars in Adilabad between 2011 and 2015 before returning to Odisha. “He planned the theft knowing the area well from his past employment,” police added.
