CHENNAI: Police have arrested a 22-year-old man for stealing 15 batteries from ATMs in the city. Police said the accused, Basha of West Saidapet, was a previous offender.
On February 7, Sekar, in charge of a private bank on Jones Road, lodged a complaint that eight batteries from the ATM there were missing. The Kumar Nagar police probing the case skimmed through the CCTV camera footage and identified Basha to be the thief. His two-wheeler’s registration number helped police nab him.
During inquiry, Basha confessed to have stolen batteries from two ATMs on Jones Road. “He chose ATMs where the security guard was either sleeping or away. But he mainly targeted ones without guards,” said a police officer. Basha stole for money to buy booze and ganja, police said.
“Stealing the batteries is relatively easy and a battery fetches up to Rs 5,000 in the black market,” the officer added. He sold the batteries through agents who disposed of them in shops that buy used spares. Police seized 15 batteries, a mobile phone and the bike used for the crime from Basha. He was remanded in judicial custody.