According to the police, the accused stole Rs 1 lakh 57 thousand from the office.
A thief offered prayers to a deity before stealing a huge amount of money from a petrol pump in Madhya Pradesh's Machalpur district. The incident reportedly took place on Saturday night.
CCTV footage of the incident shows the man, wearing a blue jacket, entering the petrol pump's office at night. He first paused as he saw a 'puja' place in the office and can be seen bowing before the deity and seeking blessings.
The man then continued to pull out drawers to look for money.
A few minutes later, he saw the CCTV camera and tried to either shut it or change the view. He was unsuccessful in doing so but was unaware of it.
According to the police, the accused stole Rs 1 lakh 57 thousand from the office.
At the time of the incident, the petrol pump employees were sleeping at the fuel bank - located on the Soyat Kalan - Sujalpur highway.
After the robbery, the thief left the office and fled the scene.
The petrol pump employees were awoken by then and ran after the thief, but could not catch him, officials said.
The police have found an iron rod and a saree from the incident spot. They are on the lookout for the accused, officials said.