The Hindu : New Delhi News : Items worth 80 lakhs missing from lockers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 31, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Items worth 80 lakhs missing from lockers

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JULY 30. Jewellery, cash and documents worth over Rs. 80 lakhs have been found missing from at least 16 lockers in the Safdarjung Enclave branch of Punjab National Bank in South-West Delhi. The police are suspecting an insider's hand behind the incident.

According to the police, the first case was reported on July 23 when a woman opened her locker and found that her cash and valuables were missing. She reported the matter to the bank authorities. A closer look revealed that someone had opened the locker apparently by using a drilling machine. However, the bank authorities did not realise that other lockers had also been tampered with.

When they started getting more such complaints, they initiated an inquiry into the matter. Last Friday, one of the accountholder had got a case registered for having lost Rs. 3.5 lakhs kept in his locker. The bank officials were shocked to find that drilling marks were seen in several other lockers, upon which they reported the matter to the police this Thursday night.

Soon after the news of theft from the lockers spread among those having lockers in the bank today went there to check whether their valuables were safe. This also led to heated exchange of words and then a brief scuffle among the account holders and the bank staff.

Bag lifters held

Six people from Jalpaiguri in West Bengal allegedly involved in cases of theft have been arrested from Sadar Bazar and in North Delhi. The police claim to have recovered Rs. 1 lakh in cash and 1 kg of charas from their possession.

According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (North Delhi), Rajesh Khurana, the incidence of bag lifting at Sadar Bazar had gone up in the recent past, because of which he directed the local police to clamp down on criminals. Around 6 p.m., a police team saw three men on a scooter who stopped at a place, broke the boot of another scooter parked there and stole a bag containing Rs. 1 lakh. The money belonged to Mahesh Khetwani.

The police immediately overpowered the three, later identified as Amar Gwala, Chandan Gwala and Amit, and seized the bag containing the money. During interrogation, they disclosed that they worked for a gang comprising over 15 criminals. They further revealed that their accomplices were staying in the guesthouses at Nabi Karim and Paharganj. Subsequently, the police mounted more raids during which they arrested three more persons, Rajeev Dass, Bhola Gwala and Deepak. Others had left their guesthouses before the police reached there.

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