A bizarre incident at Chittorgarh led to theft of Rs .60 lakh from a SBI ATM in Pratapnagar.  The incident occurred when employees of the bank were refurbishing the ATM with cash during the morning hours.  The thieves threw red chilli powder in the eyes of the employees carrying the cash, fired a few shots and fled with the bag containing the cash.

As per the police, the incident occurred today, around 1145am at the SBI ATM located near Bharat Tent House in the Pratapnagar market at Kumbhanagar.  Prakash and Suresh, employees of Logicash got down from the van carrying the cash and entered the ATM.  The van, subsequent to dropping them, went onward to the next ATM.  When one of the employees entered the ATM, a Swift Dzire stopped near the ATM in the middle of the road and 2 people entered the ATM with hand guns.  They wrested the bag off the employee in the ATM. When the two employees resisted, the goons opened fire and threw red chilli powder in their eyes, following which the employees handed over the bag.  Once the goons left, the two raised the alarm, following which the shopkeepers from nearby gathered around the ATM and informed the police.

On getting informed, CI Navneet Vyas reached the location, followed by SP Chittor Anil Kayal and DySP Ashok Butaliya.  The three interrogated Prakash and Suresh, whereby it was informed that the bag contained Rs 60 Lakh cash.  Police raised the alarm immediately and road blocks were set up around the city as well as in Bhilwara and Udaipur in an attempt to nab the crooks.

Red Chilli Powder scattered on the floor of the SBI ATM

Logicash, which is a renowned Mumbai based company managing cash transfers for Banks in the region, seemed to be at a loss of words, since the employees were neither accompanied by gunmen, nor did they close the shutters of the ATM when entering with the cash.  The two of them were carrying nearly Rs 1 Crore cash in three bags.  The gunman who was accompanying them, instead of sticking around, went elsewhere.  The police have reprimanded the company for executing such a sensitive procedure in the absence of gunmen or security guards and with such negligence.

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Residents and shopkeepers in the area as well as people around the city were in a state of shock at witnessing such an incident in broad day light, in an otherwise peaceful city.  Police are scanning the CCTV footage in location near and around the ATM.  As per eye witnesses, the white car was seen in the area at aroundf 1115am before reappearing at 1145 to execute the bold theft.