No CCTV camera in ATM, guard steals Rs 1.9 lakh

A security guard himself stole Rs 1.9 lakh in cash by breaking open an ICICI Bank ATM with an iron rod at Kothanur Dinne in southern Bengaluru. The incident occurred on February 22 but the police were approached only on Friday.

The guard is from Assam but the police have refused to disclose his identity, saying that will “hamper” the efforts to trace him.

The suspect was employed by AGS Security Group Ltd.
The theft came to light on February 23 when the morning shift guard reported for duty and found his co-worker working the night shift missing.

As he went into the kiosk, he found the machine damaged and the cash missing. The guard alerted his superiors as well as the bank officials who rushed to the spot.
Soon, the police were called who arrived with fingerprint experts.

It was later concluded that the machine was damaged with an iron rod, said a senior police officer.

Investigation confirmed the suspicion that the night shift guard had committed the offence. The police are gathering details about him.

The suspect clearly took advantage of the loopholes in the ATM security.

No surveillance
“There is no in-built camera in the machine nor was a CCTV camera installed inside the kiosk. ATMs are usually fitted to the floor but in this case the machine was just placed on four iron rods, making it easy for the guard to break it open,” the officer said.

When asked about the delay in registering the case, the officer said, “The security agency and the bank officials were confused about who should file the complaint. Later, Lokesh, a field officer of the agency, registered the complaint.”

A case has been registered at the Subramanyapura police station.