Burglars targeted two State Bank of India (SBI) ATMs in Karimnagar, Telangana, in the early hours of Sunday, 20 September, using gas cutters to break open the machines and fleeing with cash, police confirmed. At least ₹8 lakh was taken from one ATM; the amount from the second remains under assessment.

How the Burglaries Unfolded

The two incidents occurred at separate locations — one at Durshed under the Karimnagar Rural Police Station limits, and the other at Thimmapur under the LMD Police Station limits. Both thefts were captured on CCTV cameras, providing investigators with crucial visual evidence.

At the Durshed location, preliminary investigation indicates that two burglars — including a woman — arrived by car and entered the ATM room at around 3.30 am. The accused were reportedly wearing caps, spectacles, gloves, and masks to conceal their identities. Before stealing the cash, they allegedly sprayed a liquid on the CCTV cameras inside the premises in an attempt to obstruct identification. The alarm triggered by the breach at Durshed was received at the SBI office in Delhi, which then alerted local bank authorities.

Key Evidence and Vehicle Trail

CCTV footage has been central to the investigation. Police identified the involvement of a woman suspect through the recordings, even though the accused had taken precautions to obscure their faces. The vehicle used by the offenders bears a Maharashtra registration, and police have initiated steps to trace it. Footage from toll plazas is also being examined to reconstruct the vehicle's route before and after the crimes.

Police Response

Two separate First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered. Special investigation teams have been constituted to apprehend the accused, and forensic clues gathered from both crime scenes are being analysed alongside the CCTV recordings.

A Recurring Problem for Telangana

This is not an isolated incident. In May, thieves broke into an SBI ATM in Mahabubnagar town, cutting open the machine with a gas cutter and escaping with ₹2.30 lakh in under seven minutes. In that case, three offenders used a number plate-less SUV and disabled CCTV equipment before executing the theft — a pattern strikingly similar to the Karimnagar incidents. The recurring nature of ATM burglaries has become an acknowledged challenge for Telangana Police, who have been holding regular coordination meetings with bank officials to strengthen security measures at cash machines across the state.

With a Maharashtra-registered vehicle now in focus and toll-plaza footage under scrutiny, investigators are working to determine whether the Karimnagar crimes are linked to earlier incidents or represent a new organised gang operating across state lines.