Balasore: Banks and security agencies are losing sleep over repeated instances of ATM loot.

The latest incident occurred at Bahanaga in Soro police limits on Thursday when a complete ATM unit was found lying on the road beside the NH-16. Circumstantial evidence showed the ATM was dislodged from its base by the accused and was being dragged with a rope.

The looters fled abandoning the machine on the road after the rope snapped. The goons could not retrieve the cash stacked inside the ATM.

Sources said the ATM was supposed to have Rs 21 lakh in cash and the entire amount was recovered by bank officials.

Balasore police superintendent B. Jugal Kishor rushed to the spot with his subordinates and a scientific team. A sniffer dog was pressed into service, but the cops are yet to come up with solid leads.

The police suspect the involvement of four or five local people in the crime. The robbers had snapped the CCTV wires before attempting to take off with the machine.

Inspector in charge of Soro police station Dillip Sahu said: "The kiosk is a franchisee unit of the SBI managed by a private company. The cash is intact. It appears that four or five persons are involved in the crime. They attempted to carry the unit by dragging using a four-wheeler - possibly a tractor - after dislodging it from its base."

"The involvement of the local goons is not being ruled out. Although the footage of the crime is not available because the connection was severed. Recordings of footage prior to that are being analysed. A case under sections 457 (trespassing) and 380/511 (abortive attempt to commit burglary) of the IPC has been registered. The investigation is in progress," he said.

On the night of December 24 last year, robbers made a similar abortive attempt to loot cash after beak opening an ATM installed in the same kiosk. On February 14, the goons torched an ATM counter at Uttereswar Market in Soro police limits. Officials claimed around Rs 12 lakh cash was stolen on that occasion.