A group of criminals took off with Rs 10 lakh after forcefully gaining access to an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) in Saoner town early on Tuesday morning. According to police, the incident occurred from midnight to 6 am. Around seven individuals, arriving in multiple vehicles and armed with sharp-weapons. With a gas cutter, the criminals broke the ATM, taking off the cash. The State Bank of India's ATM had no security guard at the time, making the execution of the plan easy, as per the police. A senior police official noted that the robbers displayed in-depth knowledge of the cash reserves in the ATM, pointing to planning. The criminals had conducted a thorough observation before carrying out the crime. Authorities are currently examining CCTV footage to identify and apprehend the suspects.

Upon receiving the report, Superintendent of Police (SP) Harssh Poddar, accompanied by Additional SP Dr. Sandip Pakhale and their investigative team, promptly headed to Saoner to assess the crime scene. A formal complaint filed by Swapnil Maroti Gabhne (35), a Saoner resident, resulted in the registration of a case under Sections 457, 380, and 327 of the Indian Penal Code by the Saoner Police. This incident shares similarities with a previous ATM robbery in Butibori in September of the previous year. In that case, swift police action led to the dismantling of the Mewat gang within a week. Meanwhile, Saoner locals expressed concern over the increasing theft incidents.

A group led by Saoner Traders Association President Vinod Jain, Secretary Manoj Baswar, and others talked with SP Poddar. They asked for quick action against the criminals. The group suggested having more police patrolling and putting more law enforcement people in busy areas to stop crimes.

On the same Tuesday, two additional theft cases were reported in Saoner. Unidentified thieves targeted Sumit Meshram's residence in Chichpura, making away with gold ornaments and cash totalling Rs 25,000. Concurrently, a recently acquired motorcycle was reported stolen from the Pethpura area of the town during the night.