Hyderabad, April 11 -- In a brazen early morning robbery, thieves targeted an unmanned SBI ATM in Choutuppal, Hyderabad, situated along NH-65 near Divis Labs, and escaped with Rs 12.9 lakh in cash.

The daring heist took place between 4 am and 5 am on Wednesday, April 9, leaving authorities to investigate the sophisticated crime.

Black paint sprayed on CCTV camera

According to officials, the thieves entered the ATM by pulling down the shutter. They then sprayed black paint on the CCTV camera to avoid detection and used welding tools to break into the cash box. After stealing the cash, they pulled the shutter back up and fled the scene.

The theft came to light on Wednesday night when staff from the CMS agency, responsible for replenishi...