Unidentified suspects on Wednesday murdered the security guard of an automated teller machine (ATM) kiosk on Rajiv Gandhi Salai, near Kelambakkam, in an attempt to loot the cash.
The Axis Bank ATM in Kalliputhur, Padur village, located about 31 km from the city, was badly damaged, but the cash was intact. Police suspect the involvement of two or more men in the crime.
The incident came to light on Wednesday morning after the ATM's custodian, appointed by the bank, to supervise the facility, came to the kiosk and found the guard Satyaban Sahu (23) of Orissa, lying in a pool of blood.
“Immediately he dialled the emergency numbers displayed on the kiosk and alerted the bank authorities, who, in turn, informed the police,” said an official of Axis Bank who was at the spot.
The last transaction recorded at the ATM on Tuesday was at 10.38 p.m., the bank official said, adding that the money inside was intact. As the entry to the ATM (SIAN0143) located in a complex does not face the road, passers-by on the arterial road would not have heard the cries of the guard.
Speaking to The Hindu after visiting the scene of the crime, Superintendent of Police, Kancheepuram, Prem Anand Sinha said the robbery attempt could have been made around midnight. “We suspect two or three men to have attacked the guard with iron rods leaving him bleeding to death. They tried to break open the ATM but were unsuccessful,” he added.
The ATM kiosk does not have a CCTV camera. Bank officials said the kiosk was to be renovated in a month.
