Robbers decamp with ATM machine carrying Rs 30 lakh

A gang of robbers entered an ATM kiosk of the State Bank of India in Maharashtra's Pune district and decamped with the cash vending machine, a police official said on Sunday.

There was nearly Rs 30 lakh cash in the automated teller machine (ATM) when the heist took place around 1.45 am on Saturday at the kiosk located in Yavat area, about 60 km from the city, he said.

The unidentified robbers used a rope and a sports- utility vehicle (SUV) to uproot the cash dispensing machine from the kiosk, the senior police official said.

"They first blackened the CCTV installed at the ATM centre by using a black spray and then tied the cash vending machine to a rope and pulled it away with the help of an SUV," he said.

A case was registered and four police teams were fanned out to search for the culprits, he said.

The Reserve Bank recently asked banks to ensure their ATMs are grouted to a wall, pillar, or floor by September-end, except those installed in high secured premises such as airports, to enhance security of the cash vending machines.

In 2016, the RBI set up a committee on currency movement (CCM) to review the entire gamut of security of treasure in transit.