The attack on a Corporation Bank manager in an ATM at N.R. Square is expected to bring pressure upon banks to compulsorily deploy security guards at such kiosks.
Expressing concern over increasing ATM-related crimes, Police Commissioner Raghavendra H. Auradkar said he would be insisting that banks deploy security guards at all ATMs round the clock. “We have been sending reminders to all banks. We will remind them again. This is the only option for them,” Mr. Auradkar told The Hindu . According to him, banks have their own policies on hiring security guards. “While a majority of MNC banks have round-the-clock security guards, this practice is not followed by all the nationalised banks. Some do not even have guards,” he said.
Another senior police officer said, “We have decided to bring this lacuna to the notice of the Reserve Bank of India through the Home Department seeking necessary directions in this regard.”
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Inspector-General of Police (Northern Range) Bhaskar Rao, who earlier headed internal security wing, said that the banks concerned should be booked for negligence in such cases.
Following a series of ATM-related crime, Mr. Auradkar had directed police personnel to compulsorily visit ATMs and banks on their patrol route. “This move had reduced such crimes to a certain extent until the attack on Jyothi Uday,” Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Kamal Pant said.
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