Nine lakh rupees in cash was looted from an ICICI Bank ATM in Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu, with police suspecting that the burglars used a gas cutter to break open the machine.
Visuals from the spot show tell-tale signs of the ATM's cash compartment having been cut open. The burnt and damaged portion of the machine indicates that the suspects used a gas cutter to gain access to the cash.
Police suspect the burglars had carefully planned the break-in. They are also believed to have sprayed the ATM's CCTV camera to evade recording and prevent the burglary from being captured on video.
The ATM is located in an isolated area, according to a senior police officer, potentially making it easier for the suspects to carry out the operation without attracting attention.
It is not clear yet whether the bank had engaged a security guard for the ATM or whether the facility was equipped with an alarm system that could have alerted the police when the break-in took place.
Senior police officers from the Tambaram Commissionerate visited the spot and inspected the ATM as part of the investigation. Police are examining the physical evidence and looking for other leads that could help identify the suspects.
Although there are no images of the actual break-in operation from the ATM's CCTV camera, investigators are exploring other possible sources of evidence, including footage from cameras in the surrounding area.
A senior police officer told NDTV, "The ATM is in an isolated area. They have used a gas cutter. Though we don't have images of the break-in operation, we are looking for other leads. We will crack this soon."
