Man receives electric shock at ATM in TN's Kancheepuram

Chennai, Aug 17 (IANS) A man received an electric shock while withdrawing money from an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) in Tamil Nadu's Kancheepuram on Sunday, triggering panic.

The incident raised serious safety concerns among residents, prompting police action and urgent directions to the bank.

The victim, Venkatesan (35), a resident of Kamman Street, had gone to the vegetable market in the morning with his eight-year-old son.

Needing cash, he stopped at the HDFC bank's ATM located near the Head Post Office.

After inserting his card and beginning to key in his PIN, he suddenly received an electric shock through the keypad.

At first unsure if it was a genuine shock, Venkatesan attempted to re-enter his PIN, only to be hit by a much stronger jolt that left his right hand severely affected.

Shaken and in pain, he quickly exited the booth with his son and rushed to the Kancheepuram Government Hospital, where he was admitted for treatment. News of the incident spread quickly, creating tension in the locality.

Police from the Vishnu Kanchi station arrived at the scene and inspected the ATM.

Using a tester, officers confirmed that the keypad area was indeed leaking electricity. Though the leakage was of low voltage, police clarified it was sufficient to cause painful shocks, but not life-threatening injuries.

Reports soon emerged that others had also experienced minor shocks at the same ATM in recent days while entering their PINs.

Although no serious injuries had been reported earlier, the recurrence of such incidents alarmed locals.

Many began avoiding the faulty machine altogether, preferring to use other ATMs.

Some residents even resorted to using pens or other objects to press keys, wary of further electric jolts.

The police have since notified HDFC Bank management of the hazardous fault and instructed them to immediately repair the machine to prevent further incidents.

Locals, meanwhile, have urged authorities and banks to carry out routine checks of ATM facilities to ensure user safety.

--IANS

aal/svn