The police said on Thursday that the burglary at the Juinagar branch of the Bank of Baroda could have been averted if the bank had appointed a 24x7 security guard at its ATM kiosk.
The police said that CCTV footage revealed that the accused dumped the debris from the 40-foot tunnel they were digging in a nullah near Juinagar railway station during the wee hours.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Tushar Doshi said, “If a guard was present at the ATM kiosk 24x7, the theft could have been averted. The locker room is located right behind the ATM. If a security guard was present, he could have heard the accused breaking into the lockers. The guard could have also seen the accused stepping out of the tunnel every day to dump the debris.”
Mr. Doshi said that an advisory would be issued to all banks to follow security guidelines at their respective branches. The police will be conducting a security audit of the banks and direct banks to concretise the floor of strong rooms, install a 24x7 burglar alarm, and appoint a security guard outside banks and ATM kiosks. The police said that banks found to be flouting the rules would be reported to the Reserve Bank of India. Banks have also been asked to keep a record of every person visiting their branches.
The police also said that ₹2.85 crore was stolen from the lockers owing to the poor security systems installed at the bank. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone I) Sudhakar Pathare said, “We have found that the bank did not have a burglar alarm. We understand that CCTVs are not permitted to be installed in locker rooms to ensure customer confidentiality. However, we suggest banks to activate CCTVs in locker rooms after office hours.”
Rent pact with police
The Sanpada police also said on Thursday that the owner of the shop, which was used by the accused to dig a tunnel to the bank, had submitted a copy of the rent agreement with the tenant.
The agreement was duly stamped, but the copies of the Aadhaar card and PAN card attached with the agreement were fake.
The police official said, “When a place is rented out, the owner is supposed to inform the local police and submit a copy of the rent agreement. The owner followed this procedure, but there is no specific system or rule to verify the background of the tenant.”
