BELAGAVI: In a bizarre and brazen theft two weeks after the daring ATM cash van heist that shocked Bengaluru, a gang carried out an unusual ATM robbery in Belagavi by physically carting away the entire machine.
The incident took place late on Sunday night at Hosa Vantamuri village along National Highway-48 on the outskirts of Belagavi city.
According to police, three unidentified men arrived with a handcart, broke into the India ATM kiosk, and sprayed black paint over the sensors to avoid triggering alarms.
Once the system was blinded, the gang dismantled the ATM machine, loaded it onto the handcart, and pushed it nearly 200 metres away. From there, they shifted it into a waiting vehicle and disappeared into the night.
Preliminary information suggests that the ATM contained more than ₹1 lakh at the time of the robbery.
Upon receiving the alert, officers from Kakati Police Station rushed to the spot, inspected the scene, and launched a hunt for the culprits. CCTV footage from nearby locations is being examined as part of the investigation.
The audacity of the crime has left residents stunned, raising serious questions about security at roadside ATM kiosks across the region. Authorities have stepped up surveillance and have urged banks to tighten security measures immediately.