Kendrapara: Miscreants allegedly broke open two ATMs of State Bank of India, one at Patrapur and another at Niala Haat in Aul area of Kendrapara district and stole lakhs of rupees from the kiosks late on Tuesday night.
Separate teams of police have reached the theft sites and launched investigation. Bank officials also rushed to the spot and assisted the police in the investigation.
According to reports, miscreants used gas cutters to break open the machines. They also damaged the cash dispensers and burnt the CCTV cameras to destroy evidence.
"We have pressed the scientific team in to services and are examining the CCTV footages. Prima facie, miscreants used gas cutter to break open the ATMs. One ATM had over 19 lakh cash while another had more than Rs 23 lakh cash," said Ranjan Dey, SDPO, Pattamundai.
Bank officials said that around 50 lakh cash of various denominations were deposited in both the ATMs on Tuesday. The machines had already some cash in them, sources said.
"Around 23.14 lakh cash were in one ATM while another had 18.68 lakh. Almost all cashes were stolen. We have provided the CCTV footage to the police who have already launched investigation pressing forensic officials into services," SBI channel Manager Bipin Behera said.
It may be noted that the miscreants had looted two jewellery shops in Rajnagar area in the same district a couple of days ago. The fresh ATM theft has triggered panic among local residents.