ATM Card Swapped to Defraud Teacher of ₹1.3 Lakh; Suspect Caught on CCTV Buying Couple Ring

Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh: A shocking case of ATM fraud has come to light in Tikamgarh district, where a teacher lost ₹1.3 lakh after a man swapped his ATM card. The entire incident of the suspect withdrawing and spending the money has been captured on CCTV cameras.

How the Fraud Occurred
The victim, Dharendra Kumar Srivastava, a teacher from Acharya village in Mohangarh police station area and resident of Chitransh Nagar Colony in Tikamgarh, went to withdraw money from an Indian Bank ATM near Jama Masjid on Wednesday morning. Around 10:25 AM, he withdrew ₹20,000 from his father’s account. During this time, a man present at the ATM noted his PIN and later replaced his ATM card, enabling the theft of the entire amount from the account within hours.

Victim Realizes the Theft Through Mobile Alerts
Dharendra was unaware of the fraud until around 12:30 PM, when he received multiple SMS alerts showing withdrawals of ₹10,000 each. Upon updating his bank passbook, he discovered a total of ₹1.3 lakh had been withdrawn and spent from his account.

CCTV Captures Suspect Buying Jewelry
Investigations revealed that the accused spent approximately ₹1 lakh on a couple ring at Ghuvara Jewelers and withdrew the remaining ₹30,000 from the ATM. CCTV footage shows the suspect visiting the store three times — first to inspect the ring, then to create a pretext for withdrawing money, and finally to pay and leave with the ring.

Police Investigation Underway
Station Officer Brijendra Chachaudia confirmed that an investigation has begun. The suspect’s identity is being traced using CCTV footage, and authorities have assured that the culprit will be apprehended soon, and the defrauded amount recovered.

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