Representative image.

Hyderabad: Two employees of a cash management company siphoned off nearly Rs 10 crore by short-filling automated teller machines (ATMs) in the city. The culprits went absconding after an audit of the cash recently.

Tukaramgate police on Saturday said RCI Cash Management Agency, which loads cash into 150 ATMs of SBI and Central Bank of India, were found at fault when the authorities of the two banks, after completion of their agreement period, carried out audit and found large-scale misappropriation.

The two employees had siphoned off Rs 9.98 crore in the last two months from 52 ATM kiosks they were handling.

Police said the two used to short-fill ATM centres and ensure the kiosks did not reach zero balance level so that the bank would not become suspicious. At the time of loading cash, the ATM machine would not count the quantity of money deposited, unlike the time of disposing the cash. After the cash is loaded, the ATM gives out a slip stating that cash has been added, which would be submitted to the bank concerned as receipt.

