Two vigilant Samaritans foiled a burglary bid at an Indian Overseas Bank ATM at Arasampatti, in Pochampalli, in the small hours of Wednesday.
The incident was reported to have taken place at ATM along Dharmapuri Road at about 2 a.m.
According to the police, three hooded men were spotted at the ATM centre by two passersby. Whilst one man stood guard outside with his bike, two other men had entered and began tampering with the ATM machine.
However, one of the two vigilant lorry drivers Suresh and Sabari, went near the ATM for a closer look, yelling out, when one of the robbers made a bid to attack him with an iron rod.
The lorry drivers cried out for help, following which the three men took off from the scene. Pochampalli police are investigating the footage from the CCTV camera installed in the ATM. In February, in the wake of 48 kg gold heist in a nationalised bank here in Gurubarapalli and similar foiled robbery bids at ATMs in other rural outposts in the district, the police had issued a directive to all banks to ensure that unguarded ATMs located in rural pockets, border outposts, and those with low transactions be kept shut from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. In general, as a cost-cutting measure banks refrain form employing guards at ATMs.