The ATM counter of State Bank of India in Berhampur. Picture by Gopal Krishna Reddy

Berhampur, Nov. 4: Thieves have uprooted an ATM of the State Bank of India at the Industrial Estate of this town and decamped with its safe box late last night.

The ATM counter, which was installed on October 13, 2011, had no security guard.

“Uprooting an entire machine, along with the safe box, is something very unusual. It has perhaps happened in Orissa for the first time,” said a senior officer of the State Bank of India.

“The incident might have occurred between 2 and 3am,” said sub-divisional police officer Sarat Mahapatra.

“The goons left behind the cover of the money-vending machine, including the attached touch screen computer and the internal camera, at a nearby drain and decamped with its safe box. The police recovered the cover of the ATM, including the attached touch screen computer and the internal camera, from Babu Lohar, a vendor who intended to sell it to some scrap dealers,” said Mahapatra.

Lohar has been detained by BN Pur police.

The police suspect that at least 3 to 4 persons were involved in this theft and the entire operation was conducted in an organised manner. “One gunny bag had covered the external camera inside the ATM counter to block the CCTV footage,” said the SDPO.

A forensic team, along with a sniffer dog, has reached the spot. The team has found a shoeprint at the ATM counter.

“The thieves might have escaped through the nearby NH-5,” said Mahapatra.

“We deposited a cash of Rs 11 lakh to the safe box of the ATM counter at 6.33pm yesterday,” said Durgaprasad Samant, senior custodian of the Bhubaneswar-based Cash Managing Service.

A SBI officer, who inspected the spot in the morning, said it was very difficult to open a safe box. “The safe box weighs about 600-kg and has its own lock. At least four to five persons are needed to physically lift it. It can only be opened through a gas cutter,” he said.

Nine lakh looted

Two unidentified men looted Rs 9 lakh from a person near Khaliakani Chhak of Brajarajnagar under Brjarajnagar police limits of Jharsuguda district today by throwing chilly powder at his face.

Police sources said Surya Narayan Dixit, an employee of a private coal transport company at Brajarajnagar, had gone to the main branch of UCO Bank in the town to withdraw money. After withdrawal of Rs 9 lakh, Dixit put the cash in a bag and moved towards his office at Gandhi Chhak of Brajarajnagar. But, some bike-borne thieves chased Dixit and threw chilly powder at his eyes. Local residents, who were present near the spot, lifted Dixit and washed his face.

“We have sealed all the roads from Brajarajnagar. We have also intimated about the incident to Sundergarh, Sambalpur and Bargarh police. All the vehicles passing through our area are being checked,” said inspector in-charge of Brajarajnagar police station Suresh Naik.