Rs 7.31cr ATM money stolen; guard killed

In a shocking incident, robbers have stolen Rs 7.31 crore by killing the security guard of a company that fills SBI's ATMs in and around Rajahmundry. According to police, Hyderabad-based Scientific Security Management Services Private Limited is the contractor for filling up 20 ATMs of State Bank of India with currency notes in and around Rajahmundry.

It has its local office on the ground floor of an apartment in RV Nagar in Rajahmundry and has been working there for the last three years. Srimannarayana is the security guard for the company's office. Since he took leave for two days citing health reason, an office assistant Pouroju Srinivas was given the task of office security on Sunday night.

When the office staff arrived on Monday morning, the office doors were found open. They grew suspicious and immediately called the police. They found the severely mutilated body of Srinivas hanging from window and chilli powder was found sprayed on his body as well as on the floor where blood dribbled. The locker doors were found open and the surveillance cameras were missing. Rajahmundry urban district SP, T Ravi Kumar Murthy, CI, Anil Kumar, and East Zone DSP Satyanand rushed to the spot on receipt of news

The police have formed four special teams to nab the culprits. The police suspect that some insiders of the company might have been involved in the heist as it was impossible for outsiders to carry out the operation. However, serious security lapses have come to the fore. How a private company can store Rs 7.31 crore in a room without adequate security.

The culprits neither broke the locks of the office nor the lockers in the office room. It clearly showed that the deceased knew the culprits very well as none would open the doors of the office to unknown people, particularly when crores of rupees were stored. The police suspect that criminals might have carried out many recces before executing their plan.

Meanwhile, SBI officials have said they have nothing to lose as they have full insurance coverage for the robbed money. They said the Local Head Office in Hyderabad had inked the contract with the Scientific Security Management Service.

Meanwhile, nobody was able to console Muthyalamma, mother of Srinivas. She told the reporters that she had heard his son last on telephone on Sunday night when he told her that he was not able to come home due to the responsibility of security.

Ch Samson Raj