Mumbai: Lakh Stolen in ATM Break-In at Kurla, Hunt On for Three Thieves

Mumbai, 9th June : In a shocking ATM burglary in Mumbai’s Kurla East, three unidentified thieves broke into a co-operative bank’s ATM centre and made away with ₹3 lakh in cash. The theft occurred in the early hours of Friday, and Nehru Nagar police have registered a case and launched a search for the culprits based on CCTV footage.

The incident came to light when Santosh Vasant Shelke, chief manager of the co-operative bank, was alerted by the IT department’s security guard. The guard noticed that the ATM’s cash cassette was lying next to another machine and the ATM itself was switched off.

Bank staff had deposited ₹3 lakh into the ATM at around 2:30 pm on Thursday. Including previous deposits, the machine held ₹8.07 lakh in total. Since the bank remained closed on Saturday due to Bakrid, the theft likely went unnoticed until the security team checked the system remotely.

Upon reaching the ATM centre, Shelke and his colleagues found the machine tampered with and the cash cassette missing. CCTV footage revealed that three young men entered the ATM kiosk at around 6:15 am on Friday. They broke open the lower compartment of the ATM, removed the cassette containing the cash, and fled the scene. Along with the money, a cassette worth ₹15,000 was also stolen.

The bank has handed over the surveillance footage to the Nehru Nagar police, who have registered a case and initiated a manhunt for the accused.

Police are analyzing the CCTV footage to identify the suspects and are exploring leads in and around the area. This incident has raised fresh concerns about ATM security in crowded urban locations, especially during holidays.