Thieves break open ATM, loot lakhs of rupees

Solan, September 19

Two masked miscreants looted lakhs of rupees from an ICICI bank ATM at Chakjungi village on the Baddi-Nalagarh highway in the Baddi industrial area last night.

With no permanent security guard posted outside the ATM booth, the robbers entered the ATM and sprayed the CCTV camera with paint. They broke open the ATM and stole lakhs of rupees before fleeing towards Baddi.

Baddi DSP Priyank Gupta said the bank staff was yet to inform the police about the exact amount of cash stolen from the ATM.

A security guard is deputed to the ATM booth for five-six hours every day. The guard did not sense any suspicious activity when he checked the booth at 11 pm last night. However, when he returned to the ATM at 5 am, he found the machine broken with no trace of cash. The bank staff informed the police about the robbery around 7:45 am. The delay in lodging the police complaint helped the miscreants escape with the cash. The DSP said there was no proper alarm system at the ATM.

A case under Sections 457 and 380 of the IPC has been registered and an investigation initiated by the Baddi police.