Rs29 lakh stolen from ATM in Khalapur

A group of unknown persons broke into an ATM kiosk in Khalapur and stole ₹29.01 lakh within an hour after damaging the ATM in the early hours of Friday. The Khalapur police, investigating the case, said the men tried to break the second ATM that held ₹30 lakh but failed.

The theft took place at Gorthan Budruk village along the Pen-Khopoli Road between 2.30 am and 3.30 am on Friday. The Khalapur police in Raigad suspected a gang notorious for breaking into ATMs in a similar manner may be behind the crime.

“The gang allegedly broke the ATM machine using a special tool. They also attempted to break the second ATM but failed. Before starting to cut into the machine, one person, who had completely covered his face, cut the CCTV feed to not leave any evidence behind,” said Vishwajeet Kaigade, inspector at Khalapur police station.

Officials said the Gorthan branch of State Bank of India has two ATMs in the kiosk. The ATM is the only one within the 30km range and the transactions at the ATM is high, said police.

“There was no security guard either for the day or night shift. We have registered a case of theft following the incident,” added Kaigade.

Officials have been looking at the CCTV footage of the vicinity to ascertain how many persons were involved in the crime. The police said it was likely that more than two persons would have committed the crime as the modus operandi matched with thefts that have occurred in the same fashion in the state.

“We have learnt of a few incidents where money was stolen from ATMs in the same way. We are contacting police stations in those areas to verify if the same people may be involved in this theft as well,” said an officer.

The theft came to light when the bank employees arrived on Friday morning and found the ATM damaged and money stolen.