Burglars made a vain bid to rob the State Bank of India (SBI) branch at Adibatla under the Ibrahimpatnam police station limits at midnight on Friday.
The burglars entered the bank by breaking open the lock of the rear door and disconnecting the power supply to ensure they were not caught on the surveillance cameras.
With the help of torchlights, they tried to break the strongroom door.
When they failed to do so, they ransacked documents and files and left the premises, said Ibrahimpatnam Sub-Inspector A. Saidulu.
Mr. Saidulu said at least three persons might have been involved in the crime, adding that the intruders had scouted the premises before breaking into the bank.
Moreover, the bank had no security guard posted, enabling easy access for the intruders.
“We suspect burglars could not break the strong room door because of time constraint. They tried to break it till the wee hours but on realising that the morning-walkers could hear them, they escaped,” another police official said.
The incident had come to light when the branch manager opened the main door on Saturday morning and found files and documents ransacked. He immediately alerted the police. Efforts were on to trace the burglars with the help of clues collected from the spot.
Bid to rob ATM
In a separate incident, an unidentified duo made an unsuccessful attempt to steal cash from an ATM of a private bank at Bollarum crossroads.
They overpowered the security guard with knives and threatened to kill him if he raised an alarm. They then damaged the ATM but could not steal money from the cash chest. Frustrated, they thrashed the security guard before scooting.
Police said they were collecting more details from the guard to nab the burglars.
