Hearing police siren, thieves ditch plan to rob Sohna Road ATM

Bank officials, however, said the thieves had failed to cut through the ATM vault lock after trying for half an hour and abandoned the bid thereafter.

A burglary attempt at an automated teller machine (ATM) on Sohna Road was foiled on Wednesday morning. The police said three masked robbers allegedly attempted to steal cash from a State Bank of India (SBI) ATM using a gas cutter, but they abandoned the bid after hearing the siren of a police control van that was on patrol.

tPolice sad three men, whose faces were covered, could be seen attempting to dismantle the ATM with a gas-cutter in CCTV camera footage. (HT File / Photo used for representational purpose)

Bank officials, however, said the thieves had failed to cut through the ATM vault lock after trying for half an hour and abandoned the bid thereafter.

According to the police, the incident took place around 3.30am. A security guard arrived at 5.22am and alerted the bank officials, after which the police were informed.

Subhash Boken, spokesperson, Gurugram police, said three men, whose faces were covered, could be seen attempting to dismantle the ATM with a gas-cutter in CCTV camera footage.

“They heard the siren of a PCR van that was approaching and immediately ran. The suspects are yet to be traced,” Boken said.

A senior branch official, requesting anonymity, said that at the time, the ATM machine had Rs 9 lakh cash in it, adding that the thieves sprayed at the CCTV cameras before escaping.

In the police complaint, the SBI branch manager said the robbers broke down the ATM lobby shutter and the machine lock. “They (suspects) tried to cut the ATM vault lock with a gas cutter to get to the cash cassettes. There is no cash loss, but the ATM machine has been fully damaged. They also damaged the CCTV cameras,” said the branch manager, adding that attempt lasted over half an hour.

A case was registered against the accused men under sections 380 (theft in house dwelling), 427 (mischief causing damage the amount of fifty rupees) and 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment) of the Indian Penal Code at Sohna police station on Wednesday, said police.