Pune: The Wanowrie Police have arrested a 40-year-old man for cheating and robbing senior citizens at ATM centres in the city.
The accused has been identified as Ayaz Kasam Shaikh, a resident of Lohagaon. Police said he used the stolen money to play online gambling games.
The case came to light after a 73-year-old man from Wanowrie lodged a complaint at the Wanowrie Police Station (under the Pune City Police Commissionerate).
According to police reports, the incident occurred on 15th March at an ATM centre near Jagtap Chowk. The senior citizen had gone there to withdraw money when the machine screen suddenly went blank.
Police stated that, taking advantage of the situation, the accused approached the elderly man and offered assistance. He asked the victim to enter his ATM PIN and carefully observed the number.
He then asked the man to step out and call the security guard. While the victim was away, the accused used the ATM card to withdraw Rs 40,000.
Police investigations revealed that the accused used the same trick on another senior citizen and withdrew money in a similar way. After receiving the complaint, the police began tracking the suspect and laid a trap to catch him.
Senior Police Inspector Bhausaheb Patil said that the accused was trying to evade arrest by frequently travelling on Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) buses. However, the police team managed to trace and arrest him.
Further investigation is underway to check if more people have been cheated in a similar manner.
