Burglars stole Rs 16 lakh from an ATM kiosk on Chakan-Alandi Road near Pune in the early hours of Sunday after triggering a low intensity blast at the cash dispenser. The incident comes months after a heist at an ATM kiosk near Chakan, where burglars broke the cash dispenser by making a blast using an IED-like contraption and fled with Rs 28 lakh cash. The latest incident took place at an ATM kiosk in a village at 3.45 am. According to Pimpri-Chinchwad police, CCTV footage shows two persons arriving on a bike at the ATM, which is owned by a banking and financial sector major headquartered in Mumbai. "Preliminary probe suggests that the suspects triggered a low intensity blast, possibly with the help of gelatin sticks, and broke open the cash dispenser. Based on primary information given by bank officials, more than Rs 16 lakh have been stolen from the dispenser. There were no security guards present nor CCTV coverage and alarm system as per norms. We have launched a probe into various clues available, including footage from the security camera on the premises," said an officer from Pimpri-Chinchwad police. In the incident on July 21, two suspects came to the ATM kiosk and laid down an IED-like contraption and triggered a blast at the cash dispenser. The machine broke open and most of the cash was scattered around the kiosk. They collected the cash and fled. Three days before the July 21 incident, an ATM in Ranjangaon was broken by suspects in the same manner by triggering a blast. While the blast did cause damage, the burglars could not take any cash as a police team reached the area after responding to a call. Taking note of the common aspect of seriously inadequate security cover at the kiosks that were targeted by the burglars, police have started charging bank officials for "abetting" these crimes for failing to take necessary measures to secure these ATMs. Almost all the recent cases of ATM burglaries have taken place in industrial areas near Pune. The Pimpri-Chinchwad police alone have reported over a dozen such cases - either successful or attempted - since January 1. Of these, the police have solved six cases. Police have observed that in spite of very clear guidelines from the RBI and repeated communication from police, banks and non-banking entities running these ATMs fail to put in place adequate security measures. Officials said directives issued to banks and ATM managing entities are very elaborate. They pertain to alarm systems and their links to cellphones of officials, security cameras and their specifications, armed security guard deployment, lighting arrangements, location of the kiosk, checking of CCTV footage and construction of the kiosks. These directives were blatantly flouted in the case of ATMs that were targeted, probe has revealed, police said.
