Jorhat, Nov. 3: An Allahabad Bank ATM of the Dhekorgorah branch on the outskirts here was broken and its cash vault taken away by a gang of criminals late last night.

Police have picked up three guards of the private security company deployed at the ATM on round-the-clock duty. A few officials of the company were also being questioned. The detained guards are Biplab Bora, Ranjit Kalita and Dipak Bora.

Police said preliminary investigation has found that the guard allotted for the night shift was not present at the ATM last night, as he should have been according to security norms. The police have taken the CCTV footage of the ATM and are looking into it.

The chief manager of Allahabad Bank (Jorhat branch), T. Hazra, told this correspondent that Rs 7.46 lakh was in the ATM according to the latest records shown in the systems of the bank this morning.

On October 31, Rs 4 lakh was deposited in the ATM by the staff of the outsourced company hired for the purpose, the bank's manager said.

Hazra said as advised by Jorhat police, for security reasons the ATM shutter is pulled down at 10pm as it is in a rural area where public movement is limited. He said three private guards work in eight-hour shifts and even after the shutter is pulled down a guard should be outside the ATM, according to the rules.

He said after installing ATMs, the outsourced company has the responsibility of maintaining it, providing security and refilling. The bank pays the company for discharging the work under an agreement.

A police official here said the locks on the iron shutter of the ATM were broken. The goons (number not known) then broke the machine, removed it from the ground and left with the cash vault, leaving the monitor and other parts of the machine in the room. The official said the crime must have been committed after 2am, as a police patrol party had passed the area around that time last night and no unusual activity was reported then.

The police were informed early this morning by bank authorities after people out for morning walk saw the shutter half-closed with its locks broken and heard a beep coming from the monitor.

Jorhat superintendent of police Amanjeet Kaur said several persons are being questioned. She said bank officials were likely to be questioned too. She said violation of security norms laid out for running ATMs has been found in the case. She said the ATM was not grouted during installation thus making it vulnerable to criminals. She said the police could initiate legal action against bank officials and the outsourced company engaged as they are expected to ensure compliance of the norms.

On October 29, Rs 1.64 crore was "looted" from a cash van under Teok police station in Jorhat district. The police subsequently arrested five employees of the private firm who were carrying the money, for faking the robbery.

Altogether Rs 1.11 crore was recovered from the house of another accused, who is still absconding, here on October 31. Police today arrested another three persons - Arunabh Baruah, Nilabhra Bora and Bubu Bora - in connection with this case.

Safety tips

♦ Police headquarters have directed district police to inspect ATMs at frequent intervals to check if security norms are being followed 
♦ Districts asked to take action against officials of banks and outsourced companies engaged in ATM security and transportation of cash, if norms are flouted
♦ Grouting of ATMs to the ground should be ensured by bank authorities during installation
♦ Police advise not to transport cash after sunset and to fit GPS in cash-carrying vans
♦ Vans transporting cash should have vaults and district offices of the security company engaged in money transportation too should have vaults to store cash if it remains undistributed by sunset