The theft in The Ambala Central Co-Operative Bank Ltd’s Baldev Nagar branch on Naraingarh road Ambala City was reported believed to have place over the weekend, when the bank was closed on Saturday and Sunday, which came to the fore on Monday when the branch manager Bhushan Lal Gupta entered the building with his peon Ashwani Kumar and the sweeper at around 9:40 am. However, the bank staff having seven members was not able to identify the exact loss, however in the FIR loss was estimated over Rs 34 lakh.
Superintendent of police Jashandeep Singh Randhawa who visited the spot immediately told media persons that the exact loss has yet to be quantified.
The burglar had removed the bricks of the wall from a side to enter the building and used drill machine to further entry into the strong room having as many as total number of 180 lockers, of these 32 lockers were broken which included eight empty lockers which were not allotted to any customer The burglars also took away DVR of the CCTV cameras installed inside and outside the bank, leaving no record of the robbery. Baldev Nagar police station in-charge Inspector Sandeep reached at the bank immediately on getting information along with the Scene of Crime team. The customers having lockers in the bank also assembled at the spot on getting information about the theft.
There was no CCTV camera installed near the bank being located at an open place. During the day the owners of saved lockers arrived at the bank to vacate their lockers. Inspector Sandeep told that according to bank staff the unidentified burglars took away gold and silver jewellery lying in the lockers for a value estimated worth crores of rupees. Information reveals that nearly 50 lockers were vacated by the customers who took away their gold and silver jewellery during the day and whereas others who suffered loss were seen in the state of shock.
Bank Manager Bhushan Lal saida cutter was also used to cut the iron rods and 32 out of the total lockers in the room. “On the estimated loss, a list will be prepared based on the figures and items to be submitted by the locker holders,” he added.Speaking to the media, one of the locker holders, Amarinder Singh, said that earlier they were not allowed to enter the bank as a police probe was underway and later, a list was pasted outside the bank specifying the locker numbers that were broken into. Information reveals, the bank authorities have no answer to those who have lost their valuables. It is highly irresponsible of the bank as they failed to secure the belongings kept there in good faith, those suffering loss said. It was a difficult task for the bank authorities as well as the police to quantify the loss as there are no written records with any of them on what was kept in the lockers and of what value. Investigators pointed out a security lapse on part of the bank as there was no siren inside the strongroom to alert the authorities in case of a breach. The DVR was also kept in the open, which was taken away by the thieves. SP Randhawa said an SIT under deputy superintendent of police Kumar, with members from CIA-1, cyber cell and Baldev Nagar police station has been constituted to probe the matter.
