Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Police in Kulgam have recovered the entire sum of Rs 9.5 lakh defrauded in an ATM card exchange case and arrested two women for allegedly receiving the proceeds of the crime, while the two main accused remain at large after being traced to Haryana. The case is registered as FIR No. 254/2026 under Sections 303(2) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Police Station Qazigund.
The case began on October 15, 2026, when Muneera Reshi, wife of Gulzar Ahmad Shaan and a resident of Pati Akhran in Kulgam, approached Police Post Mir Bazar. She alleged that her ATM card had been fraudulently exchanged by an unknown person at an ATM in Mir Bazar on October 5. Unauthorised transactions totalling Rs 9.5 lakh were subsequently carried out from her bank account, a loss that would have been severe for any household.
During the investigation, the main accused were identified as Vinender Singh alias Sheenu, son of Roshan Lal, a resident of Kesan Colony, Barwala, Hisar, Haryana, and Mukesh Singh, son of Rajuram, a resident of Hansi in Hisar district of Haryana. Police established their identities and residential particulars through CCTV footage, technical analysis and other investigative leads.
A police team from Police Post Mir Bazar travelled to Haryana to trace the accused and verify their addresses. Both men were found to be absconding, and their residences were locked. Efforts are continuing to trace and apprehend them.
The investigation nevertheless produced a major breakthrough in recovering the money. The entire defrauded amount of Rs 9.5 lakh was recovered from two women of Hisar district. They are Shanti Devi, wife of Nathu Ram, a resident of Data Gurana, who is the maternal uncle’s wife of accused Vinender Singh, and Rajpati Devi, wife of Raj Kumar, a resident of Sorkhi, who is the maternal aunt of accused Mukesh Singh. Both have been arrested for their alleged role in receiving the proceeds of the crime.
The case shows how ATM card swap fraud works. Offenders typically watch for customers who need help at a machine, exchange the card for a similar one and then use the genuine card, along with a PIN they have often learned by observation, to withdraw or transfer money. Such crimes are difficult to detect at the time because victims frequently realise what has happened only after messages about debits arrive.
The recovery of the full amount, achieved through CCTV analysis and technical leads, is a notable result for the police. Residents are advised to avoid accepting help from strangers at ATMs, to shield the keypad while entering a PIN, and to report any suspicious transaction to the bank and police without delay. Further investigation is under way to establish the complete sequence of events and the role of all persons involved.
