Villagers of Veldhi in Manakondur mandal assured all assistance and protection to the employees of the Union Bank of India (UBI) and appealed to the management not to wind up its operations.
Following the incident of kidnap and release of UBI branch manager P. Ramesh Kumar on Wednesday night by a villager demanding loan, the UBI official team led by its chief manager Kannan, managers P. Narayana and Ramesh, former manager N. Srinivas and others visited the village on Friday and held a meeting with the village elders.
When the UBI officials informed that the management would be forced to close the bank in the village if the employees were targeted and harassed, the villagers requested the authorities not to shift the bank and assured all protection to the bank staff.
They said that they would nab the accused Naresh when he visits the village and hand him over to the police.
Plea to policeMeanwhile, the Karimnagar UBI Officers Association president M.M. Bhaskar Rao, secretary Ramana, UBI Employees Federation State secretary A. Jagannatham and secretary Srinivas condemned the incident of kidnap of branch manager and urged the police authorities to take stern action against the culprits.
The Lok Satta udyama samstha district unit also condemned the incident. President N. Srinivas and secretary Prakash Holla said that the attack on the branch manager would force the managements to close down the rural banks and urged the authorities concerned to provide adequate security to the bank personnel.
The main accused Naresh is still at large.
