ATM technician sent to judicial custody

Ahmedabad, Mar 16 (UNI) A local court today rejected the bail plea of a technician of Automated Teller Machines (ATM) of a nationalised bank, who had manipulated the functioning of three ATMs and fraudulently withdrawn over Rs six lakhs, and sent him to judicial custody.

Sagar Pritambhai Soyankar (25) had amassed over Rs six lakhs by manipulating the ATMs in such a manner that the withdrawals did not reflect in his account, which he has with a nationalised bank, said police inspector H B Rajput.

''He claimed that as his conscience pricked him, he went to the State Bank of India branch and confessed his crime. The bank authorities then lodged a complaint and we arrested him on March ten on charges of forgery,'' he told UNI here.

''The bank authorities were unaware of his crime, till he told them,'' Mr Rajput said.

Soyankar tendered an apology and paid up all the money he had withdrawn.

However, Metropolitan Magistrate B B Patel rejected his bail plea, saying it was a serious offence.

The technician used to work with a private firm which had contracts for servicing ATMs of nationalised banks in the city.

UNI MMG KD SHR KP2310