ATM blown up in theft attempt at Aluva

Kochi: A bid by an unidentified man to loot cash from an ATM along the National Highway at Aluva Desam under the cover of darkness by planting explosives was foiled when a police patrolling team turned up at the spot in the nick of time early on Sunday.

According to cops, the image of a man wearing a helmet and planting explosives outside at the ATM cabin at Kunnumpuram and then running for cover after lighting it was recorded in the ATM’s CCTV camera. “The man visited the ATM at 2.30 am. In the visuals he is seen placing something near the ATM door and backs out. An explosion follows. A police patrolling jeep was near the spot at that time and it rushed to the spot hearing the sound and seeing the smoke billowing out. As the jeep approached, the man fled into the darkness. A futile search was conducted by the team there,” Nedumbassery police said.

Though the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) was damaged in the explosion, the officials of the State Bank Of India said no cash was looted as the cash storage box was intact. The cops suspect the explosives to be a locally-made bomb but it is yet to be confirmed. “A bomb squad and forensic experts visited the spot. The chances are that he had kept the vehicle somewhere near and escaped in it. We’re also checking CCTV images of a nearby shop,” the police said.