CHENNAI: A search is on for the unidentified men who attempted to rob an ATM on the busy Walajabad-Vandalur Road on Wednesday night. The robbers left the spot after the alarm system went off, and nearly Rs 20 lakh cash, which was inside the machine, was safe.
No security guard was posted at the ATM kiosk belonging to a private bank situated in Kandigai near Oragadam, but CCTV cameras and alarm systems had been installed.
Around 2.30 am, two masked men carrying a crowbar and large stones entered the kiosk. They attempted to break open the ATM by hurling heavy stones at the machine in an effort to damage it. However, the alarm siren installed at the ATM centre started blaring, and the robbers abandoned their tools inside the kiosk and fled the spot.
Meanwhile, the bank's central control room received an alert, and the live CCTV feed reportedly showed the masked men attempting to break into the ATM. The bank authorities immediately informed the Kancheepuram district police control room. The Oragadam police rushed to the spot and began an investigation.
The police said that the swift activation of the alarm system prevented the theft of approximately Rs 20 lakh stored in the ATM. Further investigation is under way to trace the suspects.