Published Oct 30, 2024 | 4:16 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 30, 2024 | 4:16 PM
Burglary at the State Bank of India branch in Nyamath
A burglary at the State Bank of India branch in Nyamathi has resulted in the theft of gold jewellery valued at ₹12.95 crore, affecting 509 customers who had mortgaged their ornaments for loans.
The incident was reported to the police on Monday morning after bank employees discovered the theft upon opening the premises.
The stolen jewellery belonged to customers primarily from rural areas, who are now left in distress about the fate of their valuables, as they are currently barred from accessing the bank.
The mahazar procedure, a necessary step in the investigation, has not yet been completed, leaving many customers anxious about whether their items are safe.
According to police, the robbery is believed to have occurred on the nights of 25 or 26 October, while the bank was closed.
East Range DIG B. Ramesh visited the scene, and Davanagere SP Uma Prashanth confirmed that five investigative teams, comprising five inspectors and ten sub-inspectors, have been formed to pursue leads in the case.
Speaking to South First, SP Uma said “The security system there was very weak. The alarm system they have is age-old, they didn’t even have a double lock system.”
“The thieves entered by cutting the left side window grills. There was just a push and pull door after that, of which they cut the lock. They entered wherever the currency was and where the gold was kept, and took that away,” she said.
“They cut the connections of the CCTVs and taken out the DVR as well. The connections of the alarms are also cut. The CCTVs they have are also old ones, or they would have gotten updates. If anything goes wrong these days also you get the updates,” she told South First.
When asked if it could be an internal job, she responded, “Everything is under investigation, at this point it’s very early to come to that conclusion.”
Authorities are working swiftly to apprehend the culprits and reassure affected customers as the investigation continues.
(Edited by Ananya Rao, with inputs from Nolan Pinto)
