Bhubaneswar, Dec 11 (IANS): Unidentified miscreants looted Rs 10.59 lakhs from a SBI ATM in the Old Town area of Bhubaneswar late on Sunday night. Based on a complaint lodged by the bank officials, the commissionerate police registered a case and launched an investigation into the incident.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Prateek Singh along with personnel from the Shree Lingaraj Police Station and special squad officers reached the spot after being informed by the locals on Monday morning.

Police sources said that the robbers cut into the machine with a gas cutter and decamped with Rs 10.59 lakhs taken from the ATM. They had first sprayed black colour on the CCTV installed at the kiosk before committing the crime to avoid being identified.

A SBI official said the bank came to know about the incident following the receipt of a mail about the malfunctioning of the machine. Later, the bank sent its maintenance staff to repair the machine and found out about the robbery.

“We received a report in the morning that some miscreants looted cash from an ATM machine in the Old Town area. A Shree Lingaraj police team, special squad officers are present at the spot and are trying to find clues about the robbery. The miscreants committed the crime late at night and they also sprayed black colour on the cameras and lights placed at the kiosk. We suspect the involvement of a gang having expertise in such a type of crime. It has been ascertained prima facie that the ATM kiosk lacked the required security measures and the alarm system was also not working properly,” said DCP Singh.

Singh said the police will also investigate why the security agencies had not taken the necessary precautions regarding the lapses in the security arrangements at the ATM machine.