Puri: Unidentified culprit uses medieval method to break open bank ATM, fails

Saroj Kumar Behera

Puri, Nov. 3: A bank robber vainly used an old-world method to break open an ATM in Odisha’s Pipili with an wood-cutting axe. He, however, gave up his misadventure after the automatic alarm system of the machine went off, alerting the nearby people.

According to reports, the robber, dressed in a jacket, wore a helmet to hide his face and entered the ATM counter on October 31 night and tried to hack the machine installed at Bharatpur near Pipili town. The whole incident was caught in the CCTV camera installed inside the ATM counter.

In the CCTV footage, the man dressed in a jacket IS seen entering the ATM room wearing a helmet. Well-armed, the robber first takes out a stone-cutting machine and tries to cut open the machine. After the failed attempt, he takes an axe and smashes the machine, leaving it completely damaged. He then continues to open the ATM for half an hour until the alarm goes off and he can be seen escaping.

 A complaint has been lodged with the local Bharatpur police in this connection, but the police have failed to arrest the miscreant so far.

“The robber tried to break open the ATM machine with a stone-cutting machine. He tried to break open the machine for 30 minutes by hacking it with an axe. After failing to open the machine, he smashed it completely with an axe before leaving the spot,” said Harekrushna Muduli, location in-charge of TSI Private Limited, a banking transaction service provider.

The police said they had registered a case and started an investigation.

“We have collected the CCTV image which clearly shows an attempt has been made to damage the ATM. We hope to crack the case soon,” said the local police.