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.
Robbery gang loots Rs 30 Lakh in Telangana from ATM in 4 minutes
— Dilip kumar (@PDilip_kumar) March 3, 2025
02/03/25#Telangana #AtmRobbery pic.twitter.com/72Qcb4T4gk
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Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
