MEERUT, Dec. 11 -- Moradabad police on Wednesday busted an interstate ATM theft racket after arresting five members, including a fugitive CRPF jawan, following an encounter on Kanth Road late Monday night, officials said. Two of the accused sustained gunshot injuries to their legs during the exchange of fire, even as the alleged mastermind, Niyamat alias Ghoda of Mewat in Haryana, remains at large, they added. Those arrested have been identified as Abdul Mateen of Barbalan near Jama Masjid; Tanzeem of Ghosiagali, Mughalpura; Hifzur Rehman alias Hasnain of Dehariya Nagfani; Zubair Khan of Khilluka, Palwal (Haryana); and Naresh alias Fauji, a fugitive CRPF jawan from Aurangabad in Bulandshahr. According to officials, the gang's roots trace back to Delhi's Tihar Jail, where Niyamat befriended and groomed new recruits. He first built close ties with Naresh alias Fauji and Tanzeem, both jailed on separate charges, taught them the method of uprooting ATMs and convinced them it was a fast way to make money. After being released on bail, both joined the ATM theft gang, officials said. The case came to light on the night of November 24, when the gang uprooted a Punjab National Bank ATM near the loco shed bridge in Moradabad. CCTV footage later showed two burqa-clad men tying a thick yellow strap around the machine, hooking it to a car and pulling it out. The gang then broke open the ATM in the Atrasi forest of Amroha district and fled with Rs.6.92 lakh. A case was subsequently registered at the Civil Lines police station. According to SP (city) Kumar Ranvijay, the accused admitted that on November 24, three members were sent to execute the theft, with others joining them in Moradabad. They first attempted to uproot an ATM in Galshaheed but fled after the alarm went off, and later targeted the ATM near the loco shed. Police launched a multi-state probe, scanning thousands of CCTV clips and filtering 1.5 lakh mobile numbers from tower dumps. A breakthrough came when Tanzeem used a FASTag linked to his mobile number at the Chhajarsi toll plaza in Hapur, enabling investigators to place him under surveillance and confirm the involvement of Moradabad-based criminals. Teams were dispatched to West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Gujarat, Delhi, Saharanpur and Ballia, while another team stayed in Mewat for several days. Police also found that the gang had changed the vehicle's number plate near Garhmukteshwar. During one such chase, SHO Manish Saxena narrowly escaped injury when his vehicle hit a road divider. Officials said that on Monday night, police received information that the accused were travelling along Kanth Road in the same car. A checkpoint was set up near the under-construction Bhatavali bridge. When officers attempted to stop the speeding vehicle, the accused swerved towards Chhata bridge. Their car, however, got stuck on a sandy track near the post-mortem house. As they stepped out and opened fire, police retaliated and overpowered them. Police recovered the car used in the crime, Rs.3,08,300 in cash, tools, mobile phones, SIM cards, fake Aadhaar and ATM cards, .315-bore pistols, live cartridges, empty shells, black spray paint, two burqas and other items. The arrested men revealed that after Moradabad, their next planned target was Assam. Police said raids were under way to track down Niyamat, along with his accomplices Taufiq Nepali and Ranvir alias Rana of Dhanduka Tai, Mewat (Haryana)....