BANGALORE (TNN): A gang thought it easier to pick up a 450kg ATM machine loaded with Rs 24 lakh in cash rather than use cutters and draw unwanted attention. They lugged it to a waiting Tata Sumo and fled late Monday night, in Bagalur, off Bellary Road.This was a heist waiting to happen. The State Bank of India ATM was not fastened to the ground, turning it into an open temptation to burglars. The machine was kept in a room next to the newly-opened branch of the bank at Dwarakanagar, Bagalur. Monday's ATM theft comes 10 days after a Canara Bank ATM machine was broken into by a three-member gang in Sanjaynagar and Rs 19.8 lakh stolen. The Sanjaynagar heist culprits were arrested later. On Monday evening, the SBI Dwarkanagar branch closed as usual and employees left for home. The bank had no security guard. The theft happened between 1.24am and 1.32am. According to an account pieced together by police from footage retrieved from the two CCTVs in the kiosk, two men walked in, their faces covered with blankets. The duo broke the CCTV camera inside and lifted the cash machine out with the help of their associates waiting outside. The machine was loaded into a Tata Sumo and the gang drove away, police said. The theft of the ATM was noticed by a Cheetah patrol team, which alerted the bank manager immediately. "The bank is located on a narrow street on Bagalur Main Road, off Bellary Road. The area is a little deserted at night. Poor lighting and a lack of security made the ATM a sitting duck," said TR Suresh, DCP (Northeast). Last week, the machine was loaded with Rs 25 lakh, an officer said. A senior police officer said there were two cameras at the ATM kiosk. The CCTV camera inside the kiosk only caught the two men walking in, who destroyed it immediately. "We could get something from the camera installed outside. Although vague, we got a general idea of what happened outside the ATM and could even identify the vehicle. There are some more clues we don't want to divulge as of now," said the officer. Rahul Kohli, security officer of SBI, told TOI the responsibility of managing the ATM was outsourced to a private firm, MphasiS. "Of late, we are outsourcing the security process to private firms for most of our banks. So except for a supervisory role, we are not involved in the security of particular ATMs," Kohli said. Officials of MphasiS said the ATM machine was insured and the money would not be lost. They said the security firm was asked to furnish details of all the employees of the bank and security firm who had access to the cash machine. Bangalore police commissioner B G Jyothi Prakash visited the spot with other senior officers. Special teams were formed to investigate the heist.