India: Robbers uproot ATM machine, loot Rs2m in Patna
They sprayed black paint on CCTV camera before committing the crime, police say
Patna: Daredevil robbers in Bihar carried the entire automated teller machine (ATM) with them after failing to break it and extricate the cash stashed inside. The ATM contained more than Rs2.1 million when it was robbed.
Police said four masked robbers riding a white Scorpio vehicle raided the ATM kiosk located in Phulwarisharif locality of Patna, the capital city of Bihar, in the wee hours of Thursday and tried to break the HDFC ATM but failed in their efforts.
Unable to remove the cash, the robbers finally tied the ATM machine to their SUV with a rope and uprooted the machine. Thereafter, they loaded the machine on their vehicle and fled the scene, the police said after scanning the CCTV footage.
According to the police, the robbers had sprayed black paint on the CCTV camera installed inside the kiosk before committing the crime. A normal ATM machine weighs around 200kg and that’s the reason the robbers had come in a company of four to load it safely on the vehicle.
After committing the crime, the robbers drove some 150km south of Patna and extricated the cash. They then threw the machine near a canal. In the morning, the local villagers spotted the broken ATM lying near the canal and promptly informed the police, who seized the empty machine and took it to the police station.
“We have formed a special investigation team and are conducting raids looking for the robbers. We have got some vital leads in the matter,” Inspector general of police, Patna, Sanjay Singh told the media on Friday. According to him, the department was also investigating the role of police who were deployed on night patrolling.
Reports said a local resident tried hard to contact the police control room but none picked up the calls. According to the woman who had rented her premises for the bank ATM, she got suspicious after finding the robbers loading the ATM on their car at night and raised an alarm but none responded.
“I enquired from the people why they were loading the ATM on their car. To which they said they were carrying it for repair since it has gone out of order but I got suspicious and raised an alarm,” landlady Rehana Khatoon told the media. According to her, she woke up after hearing a loud noise caused by the uprooting of the ATM and rushed to the terrace of the house to see what was happening.