In a daring robbery that jolted Adilabad town, unidentified miscreants looted a State Bank of India (SBI) ATM situated on the main road in Ramnagar during the early hours of Saturday, July 26. This marks the first such ATM theft in the district in four years. According to police officials, the perpetrators strategically disabled the ATM’s CCTV surveillance by spraying black paint over the camera lenses, effectively blinding the system before carrying out the theft.

Once the security system was compromised, the gang used gas cutters to break open the ATM’s vault and escape with an undisclosed amount of cash. Authorities are awaiting a formal complaint from SBI officials to confirm the exact amount stolen. Visuals from the scene reveal significant damage to the ATM unit, indicating a well-planned and professionally executed operation, possibly carried out by experienced criminals.

Adilabad DSP L Jeevan Reddy, along with Inspectors Karre Swamy and Sunil Kumar, inspected the scene and initiated an investigation. Based on the modus operandi, police suspect the involvement of an interstate gang, potentially originating from northern India. Officials are also examining similarities with recent ATM heists in other states, suggesting a larger network might be behind the incident.