Mysuru:  Thieves made a futile attempt to break into an ATM in the heart of the city late last night. They entered the ATM and were successful in opening the first layer of the ATM machine but were unable to lay hands on the cash chest.

The incident occurred at K.R. Circle Vijaya Bank ATM and the Police suspect that thieves would have entered the ATM taking advantage of darkness around midnight or wee hours of today. Surprisingly, the beat Police and night Police patrol at the heart of the city failed to spot the crime, said the nearby shopkeepers.

The theft came to light this morning when the proprietors of  Gopal Veg and Non-Veg Hotel that is located opposite the ATM found the doors of the ATM ajar. Finding something amiss, they checked the ATM and found that the machine was cut open. However, the thieves could not open the cash chest.

They immediately alerted the jurisdictional Devaraja Police who came to the spot along with dog squad and fingerprint experts. City Crime Branch ACP Lingappa visited the ATM along with the bank officials.

According to shopkeepers, though the ATM was located at the heart of the city there was no security guard posted there. Even the CCTV cameras installed inside the ATM room were not functioning. Police could have got some clues if the cameras were working, they said.