Hyderabad, September 20, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Burglars targeted two State Bank of India (SBI) ATMs in Telangana’s Karimnagar town in the early hours of Sunday, damaging the machines and fleeing with cash, police said.
The thieves used gas cutters to break open the ATMs located in Durshed under Karimnagar Rural Police Station limits and Thimmapur under LMD Police Station limits. The incidents were captured on CCTV cameras.
At the Durshed ATM, the burglars allegedly sprayed a liquid on the CCTV cameras before carrying out the theft. Police said CCTV footage indicated the involvement of a woman.
The SBI office in Delhi received an alarm regarding the burglary at the Durshed ATM, following which local bank authorities were alerted.
Preliminary investigation showed that two burglars, including a woman, arrived at the Durshed ATM in a car and entered the ATM room around 3.30 a.m. The accused were wearing caps, spectacles, gloves and masks.
After damaging the ATM, they allegedly took away Rs 8 lakh stored in the machine. The amount stolen from the second ATM has not yet been ascertained.
Police have registered two separate cases and launched an investigation. Special teams have been formed to trace and apprehend the suspects.
Investigators are analysing CCTV footage and other clues collected from the crime scenes. Police said the offenders used a vehicle registered in Maharashtra and efforts were underway to trace it.
CCTV footage from toll plazas was also being examined to track the vehicle’s movements.
The latest incidents come amid a series of ATM burglaries reported in Telangana. In May, thieves damaged an SBI ATM in Mahabubnagar town and escaped with Rs 2.30 lakh in cash.
Three thieves had reportedly used a gas cutter to break open the machine and completed the operation in around seven minutes before fleeing in an SUV without a number plate. The suspects had also damaged CCTV cameras and other equipment inside the ATM centre to avoid identification.
The repeated ATM burglaries have emerged as a challenge for police, with officials holding regular meetings with bank authorities to strengthen security arrangements at ATMs.
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