Binjharpur: Miscreants stole an ATM and looted cash in a daring late-night heist near Mainda Chhak on the Jajpur–Singhpur main road under Binjharpur police station limits in Jajpur district, police said Friday.
The incident took place late Thursday night while residents were celebrating New Year’s Day. The stolen ATM belonged to a private bank and was installed near Mainda Chhak.
The theft came to light Friday morning. Upon receiving information, Binjharpur police station officer-in-charge Ranjan Kumar Mallik rushed to the spot and initiated an investigation.
CCTV footage from the area is being examined to identify the culprits. According to preliminary findings, the miscreants uprooted the ATM machine and transported it in a goods auto-rickshaw to a nearby forested area.
They later broke open the machine and decamped with the cash. Police recovered the damaged ATM machine and the abandoned auto-rickshaw from the spot.
The exact amount of cash looted is yet to be ascertained. A scientific team and dog squad were pressed into service to assist in the investigation.
Jajpur SDPO Prashant Majhi and senior police officials visited the scene and supervised the probe. No arrest had been made till the filing of this report, police said.