Mumbai: Robber stabs ATM guard 31 times

Mumbai: A 60-year-old ATM security guard was brutally stabbed to death by a robber who came to loot the ATM kiosk wearing a motorbike helmet on Wednesday night. The security guard was stabbed 31 times with a chopper, and the kiosk’s CCTV cameras placed inside the centre captured the entire gruesome incident. The police were only notified of the incident five hours after the horrific killing, when a tea vendor entered the ATM centre at 4.30 am to give the guard his daily cup of tea. The vendor found the guard lying in a pool of blood.

The deceased Suryakant Mahadik, was working for a private security agency and was posted at the Abhyudaya Bank ATM centre, Ghansoli, since the past few months. Police have ascertained that the helmet-wearing miscreant had come to the ATM with the intention of robbing cash, but haven’t ruled out any other motive, as the guard was stabbed ruthlessly.

According to Senior Police Inspector Mukund Hatote of Kopar Khairane police station, on Wednesday night at around 10.50 pm a person in his 30s came on a motorcycle, parked it in front of the kiosk, and entered the centre wearing his helmet. After ambling inside the centre for a few minutes, he stepped outside and started scanning the area.

At 11.10 pm, he entered again. Perturbed by his suspicious movements, the security guard approached the man, and asked him to take off his helmet. He, however, refused to take it off, and an argument ensued between the two. The man suddenly took out a chopper and started assaulting the guard.

Failed robbery

Soon after stabbing him the man proceeded to break the cameras, and tried to unsuccessfully break into the machine, and fled without taking any money. “Around 4.30 am, the tea vendor informed us, after which we reached the spot. We requested the bank manager to handover the CCTV footage, and based on that we have made the observations. The intention for murder can be more than robbery,” said Hatote.

Cops also stated that they have a clear description of the unknown accused from the CCTV footage, as the front of his helmet had a transparent visor. They have launched a manhunt to trace the accused.