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Burglars burn down ₹19.5 lakh in attempt to break into ATM at Khanna
CCTV cameras capture three men setting the SBI ATM on fire while trying to open it using a gas cutter, which has been recovered, say police
Cash amounting to ₹19.5 lakh was reduced to ashes after a gang of burglars set an SBI ATM on fire while trying to break into it at Khanna in the wee hours of Saturday.
Even though night curfew is imposed in the district, with police claiming to be on the watch through the night to check violators, they came to know about the incident only after the bank staff informed them later.
Three burglars and the incident were captured in the CCTV cameras installed near the ATM, located in the branch of State Bank of India at Ikolaha village, Khanna. A gas cutter, left behind by the miscreants, was recovered from the kiosk.
Police said the CCTV footage showed three men turning up at the bank in a car around 2am. They entered the ATM kiosk after breaking open the locks of the shutter. No security guard was present.
As they tried to break into the machine using a gas cutter, it suddenly caught fire.
Alarmed by the flames, which engulfed the entire kiosk, the burglars fled from the spot.
Locals informed the bank officials on noticing the fire, following which the police were informed. A fire tender was rushed to the spot and the flames were doused in around an hour.
Bank manager Rubal said the ₹19.5 lakh in cash, loaded in the machine just a day ago, was completely gutted in the incident.
Khanna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gursharandeep Singh Grewal said the police were trying to identify the accused through the CCTV footage. Deputy superintendent of police (DSP, Khanna) Rajanparminder Singh has been asked to speed up the investigation and arrest them soon.
This is the second such incident in the past four months.
On December 15, 2020, burglars trying to steal money from an unmanned ATM on Ferozepur Road had burnt ₹5.32 lakh in cash. The Punjab and Sind Bank ATM is situated opposite Verka Milk plant, but no police team noticed the fire. The incident came to light only after bank officials informed the police the next morning.
Earlier on December 2, three masked men stole ₹26.37 lakh after cutting open an HDFC ATM in Lall Kalan village of Samrala. This ATM also had no security guard. Both cases remain unsolved.
