CHENNAI: An unidentified man looted Rs 9 lakh from a private bank ATM near Pudupedu village on the Sriperumbudur-Kundrathur Road in the early hours of Tuesday. The incident occurred around 2 am. The suspect, who had covered his face with a checked shawl, allegedly used a welding machine to break open the cash compartment and fled with the money, the Somangalam police said.
The ATM did not have a security guard and its CCTV cameras were connected to the bank’s central control room in Mumbai. When an alarm was triggered as the machine was being tampered with, the control room alerted the Tamil Nadu police. Police personnel on night patrol, however, were not provided the exact location of the ATM initially, sources said.
They checked several ATMs in the area before locating the one at Pudupedu, by which time the suspect had fled. Police suspect that the man sprayed a chemical on the CCTV camera to prevent the burglary from being captured on video. Footage retrieved from the bank’s central server is being analysed.
While only one person is seen inside the ATM kiosk, the police are probing whether he had accomplices waiting outside. CCTV footage from nearby locations is also being checked to identify the vehicle used in the crime.
A case has been registered and two special teams of the Tambaram City Police Commissionerate have been formed to trace the suspect. Forensic experts have collected evidence from the ATM and further inquiry is on.