Bangalore: A gang disappeared with an HDFC bank ATM in Bangalore in the wee hours of Tuesday, hoodwinking two security guards on duty.
The two security men, Nanjnjappa and Srinivasa, who were guarding the ATM, were fast asleep when the incident took place at Chandrapura Main Road between 1.30 am and 6 am.
They woke up to find the ATM machine missing and called up the police. The duo claims they heard no sound when the machine was stolen from the adjacent room.
Karthikeyan, the branch manager of the bank, lodged a complaint with the police. The complaint elaborates that Rs 16 lakh had been deposited in the account last Saturday.
"We are yet to ascertain how much of the money deposited by us was withdrawn by customers. We will have a clearer picture of how much money was stolen once we get the copy of withdrawal receipts," Karthikeyan said in his complaint.
Police sources said they believed the theft had been committed by a gang of five to six people, who appear to have escaped with the ATM in a mini lorry.
"It is not easy to carry the machine that weighs over 400 kg. It is clear the men who committed the theft knew how the ATM worked. The way they unplugged the machine's power socket indicates they possessed technical knowledge," said a source at the police station.
The thieves knew that cutting the power supply would halt the machine's functions. "This is why the alarm did not work.
The thieves also ensured that the power supply to the CCTV cameras was blocked, so we have no images to go by," said an officer at the Anekal Police Station.
While Karthikeyan could not be contacted despite repeated attempts, officers at the Anekal police station refused to be named or quoted in the case.