15 lakh cash looted from four ATMs in Baripada

Baripada: Unidentified miscreants allegedly looted cash worth Rs 15 lakh from four different ATMs in Mayurbhanj district on Saturday night.

All the four ATM machines at Axis Bank at Tulasichaura, United Bank of India at  Palabani, UBI at Astia and Bank of India at Station Bazar have been looted in a similar fashion using gas cutters, informed a senior police official. A scientific team and sniffer dogs have reached the spot for more investigation.

"Although the exact amount of money looted from all four ATMs is yet to be calculated, it is estimated to be close to Rs 15 lakh," informed Baripada sub-divisional police officer Abhimanyu Nayak.

Earlier on June 13, 2018, a loot bid at the State Bank of India ATM near Ranipatna Chhak in Balasore town was foiled after a patrolling team of police reached the spot just in time. In the same month again on June 16, a youth from West Bengal was nabbed by Police for allegedly trying to steal cash by breaking the SBI’s Automated Teller Machine (ATM) on Jaleswar railway station premises.

It is pertinent to mention here that there has been a rise in loot of cash from ATMs at different parts across the state.