Murugan (54) of Saththankulam in Tiruchendur taluk, Tuticorin district, posted as a security guard at an automated teller machine (ATM) booth of a private bank on the East Coast Road (ECR) in Krishnankaranai near Mamallapuram was found dead in a pool of blood in the early hours of Sunday.
According to police, the Inspector, Govindaraj, attached to the ECR patrolling party, went to the ATM located in the private bank premises at around 1-30 a.m. to sign the log book where he found the security personnel lying dead with his throat slit and deep cuts on both the palms.
While the body was lying 30 feet away from the ATM centre, Mr. Govindaraj found some black sediments on the ATM indicating that somebody had attempted to break open the machine.
Subsequently, the body of Murugan, residing at Krishnankaranai for the past 6 years and looking after a grocery shop run by the family at the village, was sent to Chengalpattu Medical College Hospital, Chengalpattu for post-mortem.
Preliminary investigations, police said, had revealed that the culprit had murdered Murugan before entering the ATM chamber at half-past-midnight where an image of a person covering his face was recorded in the closed circuit camera.
Sniffer dog and forensic experts visited the spot on Sunday morning, when the police conducted preliminary investigations with the bank officials. However, the Mamallapuram police have registered a case under section 302 (murder) based on a complaint lodged by Pichamani (24), son of Murugan.
Meanwhile, senior police officials have urged the banks to avoid setting up of ATMs or bank branches at remote areas, like in this case where the bank branch functions at a building located far away from the village.
Earlier version of the story: > Guard murdered, as bid to loot ATM goes in vain
