The burglars who broke into the locker room of the Juinagar branch of Bank of Baroda on Monday stole valuables worth ₹2.85 crore, the police said on Tuesday.
The amount is likely to be higher, as the police still have to record the statement of two of the customers whose lockers were burgled.
“The stolen valuables include 10.586 kg gold, 6.391 kg silver, ₹70,000 in cash, and diamond rings worth ₹50,000. Articles from 80 other lockers, which were safe, were given back to the owners,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Sudhakar Pathare said.
Customers seek damages
On Tuesday, angry customers gathered outside the bank and demanded that the bank compensate those whose valuables were stolen. One customer said, “The bank did not have proper security. We have lost all our savings. It is called a strong room for a reason, but it was not strong enough to save our valuables. If banks are also not safe, what do we do?”
Vishal Kshirsagar, a customer whose locker was not broken into, said, “We hope the bank does the needful for people who lost their belongings, since the service they provide is not free. They take a deposit and annual rent.”
Vijaya Tambe, another customer, took her valuables back from the locker on Tuesday, saying she no longer trusted the bank.
Senior Police Inspector Suraj Padvi from Sanpada police station said, “Some locker owners are out of the city and couldn’t come on Tuesday. We expect them to come on Wednesday for the remaining valuation.”
In a meeting on Tuesday, Crime Branch officers met Commissioner of Police Hemant Nagrale to discuss the strategy of the investigation. The police suspect the burglars to be from Jharkhand, as the modus operandi is seen among gangs from Jharkhand.
Some clues
A police source said, “We have one mobile number, which was mentioned on the rent agreement between the accused and the owner of the shop from where the tunnel was dug. There were no outgoing calls made using that number, only incoming calls. We are working on data dumps for more leads. A few closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras have captured the burglars’ blurred images.”
The police will also interrogate the accused arrested in similar cases who are out on bail.
