Kannur: Noted film actor Unnikrishnan Namboothiri, known for his comedy and grandfather roles, died on Wednesday, his family sources said. Namboothiri was 98.

The actor had survived COVID-19 and was discharged from a hospital on Tuesday. A family friend of the actor said Namboothiri felt some uneasiness and was admitted to a private hospital on Wednesday but he passed away in the evening.

He is survived by his children Devi, Bhavadas, Yamuna and P V Kunhikrishnan. P V Kunhikrishnan is a Kerala High Court judge. Namboothiri is also the father-in-law of popular musician Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of Opposition in the stateAssembly, Ramesh Chennithala condoled the demise of the actor.

"Namboothiri was an amazing actor who excelled in playing character roles.It's a huge loss to the cultural world," Vijayan said in his condolence message. Chennithala said Namboothiri was known as the grandfather of south Indian cinema.

"....with his demise, Malayalam movie industry has lost an excellent actor," Chennithala said.

His debut movie was 'Kaliyattam' in 1996.

Later he acted in numerous movies including 'Kaikudanna Nilavu', 'Madhuranombarakattu', 'Meghmalhar', 'Kalyanaraman,' 'Rappakal' and 'Pokkiri Raja'. His role as a romantic grandfather in 'Kalyanaraman' was a huge hit.

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Rangareddy: A group of four masked men looted ₹30 lakh from a State Bank of India (SBI) ATM in Telangana’s Rangareddy district in the early hours of Sunday. The entire heist, which lasted four minutes, was captured on CCTV inside the ATM kiosk.

According to police, the burglary took place at around 2 am in Maheshwaram. CCTV footage shows one of the burglars getting down from a car and spraying a substance on the camera at the entrance to obstruct visibility. However, another CCTV inside the ATM captured the crime. The gang disabled the emergency alarm by cutting its wires before proceeding with the theft.

The burglars used an iron rod and a gas cutter to break open the ATM machine, looting ₹29.69 lakh before fleeing. They also rolled down the shutter before leaving.

Police have launched a manhunt and are reviewing CCTV footage from nearby areas to track the burglars' vehicle. According to investigators, five individuals were involved, three inside the ATM, one waiting outside, and another in the getaway car.

Officials suspect the gang may have committed similar ATM thefts in Bengaluru and Hosur, Tamil Nadu, following the same modus operandi. The thieves reportedly attempted to rob another ATM in Mylardevpally but abandoned it after suffering an electric shock while cutting wires.

Multiple teams have been deployed to arrest the accused.