SBI ATM lifted from kiosk, money looted in Assam

Rangiya (

), Jul 8: A State Bank of India's ATM was uprooted from its kiosk and Rs 5.38 lakh were looted from it by robbers in Kamrup (Rural) district, police said today.

The bank's agents had deposited Rs 45 lakh in the ATM near the Rangiya railway station last evening and a group of about 12 robber came late last night and lifted the entire machine and looted Rs 5.38 lakh while the remaining amount had been already withdrawn.

The ATM was yet to be traced. Rangiya Sub-divisional Police Officer Kanteswar Gogoi along with other police officials visited the spot this morning and suspected that the agents had not fitted the machine properly. Gogoi said they suspected that some members of the agency responsible for depositing money were conniving with some persons to loot money from ATMs by lifting the machines which were not installed properly.

There was no security personnel, who are usually appointed by the agency, at the ATM, Gogoi said. A similar incident had occurred in Rangia about a month ago with the machine later recovered from a pond, but an amount of Rs 25 lakh which was looted was yet to be recovered. Gogoi said that they had started investigations and would soon arrest the culprits.

PTI