Attempt to steal from ATM foiled

An attempt to break open and steal cash from an Automated Teller Machine of a private sector bank had failed here on Friday.

The incident occurred at the ATM kiosk of Laxmi Vilas Bank situated along Union Mill Road in the city at around 2 a.m.

As per the statement given by the watchman at the ATM, a gang of three persons came by a car and two entered the kiosk with one person wearing a mask.

They then tied the hands of the watchman who was sitting inside the kiosk, and plastered his mouth before trying to open the outer cover of the machine with an iron rod.

But as they were making the effort to open it, some movements of people were heard in the vicinity by the third person who was standing outside the kiosk.

Gang escapes

This made the trio to abandon the attempt and escape from the scene in the car.

Deputy Superintendent of Police R. Rajaram told The Hindu that the person with the mask first turned the direction of the CCTV camera fitted inside the ATM centre, which was focusing the entrance and transaction area, before making the attempt to cut open the ATM machine’s outer cover.

CCTV footage

“We are anyway analysing the footage from the CCTV camera,” he said.

The police officials added that from the modus operandi of the crime, it looked that the accused had made a ‘trial’ visit to the ATM prior to the theft attempt and studied the position of the camera as well as the watchman.