To enjoy additional benefits
CONNECT WITH US
Updated – July 08, 2024 09:11 pm IST
Published – July 08, 2024 01:21 pm IST – Bengaluru
Police got this partial view of the face of one of the accused before he sprayed painted on all the cameras in the ATM kiosk on Sarjapur Road in Bengalutu on July 6, 2024. | Photo Credit: Video Grab
A gang of armed men on Saturday barged into an ATM kiosk of Axis Bank in Doddakannalli village on Sarjapur Road, cut open the machine and stole money that was inside. A week before the incident, ₹16.5 lakh had been loaded in the ATM. The kiosk did not have a security guard at the time.
Investigation has revealed that the crime took place hours after another ATM kiosk was similarly looted in Hosur, across the border in Tamil Nadu, using a similar modus operandi. Both crimes are suspected to be the work of the same gang
The police said the gang had covered themselves with bedsheets to hide their identity and that there were at least two of them. They sprayed paint on the cameras in the kiosk to ensure their faces were not seen.
However, the police have a partial view of the face of one of the accused, before he sprayed paint on all the cameras. The gang reportedly used a gas cutter to cut open the machine, sources said.
The incident came to light on Sunday when Mumbai-based e-surveillance company Securens System Private Limited, which was overseeing the kiosk, alerted Kiran E.G., a local representative of AGS Transact Technologies Private Limited that has the contract to refill and maintain the ATM. He lodged a complaint with the Bellandur police.
In his complaint, Mr. Kiran claimed that Secure Value India Limited had the contract to refill cash at that particular ATM, and it loaded ₹16.5 lakh in the machine on July 1. There is no clarity on the quantum of cash that was inside the machine at the time of the crime.
A senior police official said that a similar crime was reported in Hosur hours before the incident on Sarjapur Road. An ATM kiosk of a private bank was similarly looted in Hosur and ₹14.5 lakh was stolen. This distance between the two ATMs is around 35 km.
In Hosur too, the suspects covered themselves with bedsheets, shawls, and sprayed paint on the cameras before cutting open the ATM using a gas cutter to steal the money.
“The modus operandi was the same. We suspect that the two unguarded kiosks, a short distance from each other, were targeted by an inter-State gang,” the official said.
The Bellandur police have some leads in the case, apart from a visual of a part of the face of one of the accused. They have zeroed in on a vehicle in the area, which could have been used by the gang.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayananda has told the city police to step up vigil and monitor all ATM kiosks, as the gang is likely to target other ATM kiosks as well.
bengaluru / Tamil Nadu
BACK TO TOP
Terms & conditions | Institutional Subscriber
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.
