A total of Rs.11 lakh was allegedly stolen from a public sector bank in Triplicane on Wednesday afternoon, after the bank closed, late in the afternoon.
According to police, the theft took place in the Indian Overseas Bank on Triplicane High Road. On Wednesday at 3.30 p.m., the bank closed for customers in order to begin its accounting process. The chief cashier collected money from all the counters and placed it on his table.
Usually, when carrying out this procedure, officials keep the bank doors locked. However, on Thursday, only the chain was fastened, police said. At this juncture a man walked into the bank, proceeded towards the cash, put it in a bag and walked away.
“The cashier had gone to meet the manager when this happened,” police said.
When the staff found the money missing, they searched the entire office. On Thursday morning, the bank manager lodged a complaint with the Triplicane police.
“We checked the CCTV footage. We found that a man who looked to be in his thirties, wearing a black shirt, a cap and carrying a bag, was seen walking into the bank. We are checking to see if he had come the previous day too, for a recce,” a police official said.
Senior police officers said the bank officials should have been more careful.
They said there was no security guard at the entrance to the bank. “The face of the suspect is not very clear as it is covered with the cap. He was obviously aware about the placement of the cameras,” the official said.
