A primary agricultural cooperative bank (PACB) at Pottakavayal near Paramakudi in Ramanathapuram district was found open beyond office hours on Friday night as allegedly a retired worker, who was entrusted with the responsibility of manning the premises left in the evening without locking them properly.
After a neighbour alerted the Pottakavayal panchayat president Mohamed Hakeem, he called the Ramanathapuram Collector’s camp office staff and also informed Tahsildar Ravi at Paramakudi about the incident.
The Collector’s staff immediately shared the information with the Regional Cooperative Joint Registrar Muthukumar about the issue, it was said.
Inquiries revealed that Nagaraj was the secretary of the PACB at Pottakavayal. He was also secretary of another agriculture society in S V Mangalam. Since he had gone to S V Mangalam, he had deployed a retired staff at Pottakavayal. As the bus to Ramanathapuram arrived, the retired staff, allegedly boarded the bus forgetting to lock the premises.
Under such circumstances, a woman spotted the bank open at around 6.30 p.m. and alerted the panchayat president. At around 9.30 p.m., the staff came and locked the premises.
On Saturday morning, the senior officials arrived and conducted a check. It was found that ₹88,000 cash was intact. As for the gold jewels in the bank pledged by public, the officials said that the locker could be opened only in the presence of both the president and secretary as two keys had to be inserted.
Since the president of the PACB was away and is expected to return on Sunday night, the officials told mediapersons that they would physically ascertain the pledged jewels on Monday.
The officials said that they have sought an explanation from the secretary and action would be taken.
