Three masked men broke open an ATM kiosk of a private bank at Parthasarathi Nagar in Dharmavaram of Sri Sathya Sai district in the early hours of Wednesday (May 6, 2026), and fled with a cash chest reportedly containing ₹10 lakh.

CCTV footage from the kiosk shows the gang entering at 3.34 a.m. and going to work on the ATM with practised speed. The men used a lever to detach the machine from its concrete base. They then tied the ATM to a webbing sling, the other end of which was fastened to a SUV waiting outside. As the vehicle pulled away, the machine was dragged out of the kiosk, with the force of the pull breaking the door open.

The Dharmavaram police said the offenders, after dragging the ATM out of the kiosk, removed the cash chest from inside it and fled towards Bathalapalli with the cash.

Superintendent of Police S. Satish Kumar formed four special teams to track down the offenders. The teams have started examining CCTV footage at vital road points leading to the neighbouring districts and Karnataka. Border check-posts have been alerted, the police said.

The police have registered a case and taken up further investigation. A preliminary inquiry suggests the involvement of an organised gang, given the precision and speed of the operation, the police said.