News

Bangalore police shutter unguarded ATMs

November 25, 2013

Banks in Bangalore, India, that failed to take seriously last Thursday's edict that all ATMs must be properly secured within three days or shut down received a surprise on Sunday when Bangalore City police began enforcing the order. 

In all, authorities shuttered more than 1,000 of the city's 2,800 ATMs that failed to meet a 4 p.m. deadline for compliance with security measures that call for working alarm and CCTV camera systems, and round-the-clock security guards. 

According to a report by The Times of India, police began to take action within minutes of the deadline, rolling down and locking shutters of unmanned ATMs and posting notices to inform citizens of the reason for closure.

The edict and police action followed a shockingly brutal attack on a woman at an ATM kiosk on Nov. 19. The woman was struck on the head several times with a machete after she refused to give her ATM card and PIN to an assailant who followed her into the vestibule.

The victim sustained severe injuries, but was not killed. However, police have now linked the Nov. 19 attack to another 10 days earlier in which a woman was murdered with a machete after apparently giving up her ATM card and PIN. Police have obtained CCTV footage of a man using the dead woman's ATM card; his dress and appearance match CCTV footage from the later attack.

On Friday, the man was reported to have been taken into custody, however, subsequent reports have said that he is still being sought by police.