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THE increasing number of bank robberies in Delhi and other parts of the country should not come as a surprise to anyone. In fact, given the slack security at our bank branches, we must be thankful that there have not been more such incidents. For some years now, the police has been constantly advising all banks to spruce up security—instal CCTV cameras at the entrance and the exit, and also at strategic places within the bank premises, put in place a state of the art alarm and security system and provide well- trained armed security guards. Now, in view of the terror threats, such security systems become all the more necessary. Yet, banks have never paid heed to this advice, thereby putting not just their own employees, but also their customers at risk. In fact, if you do a survey of banks and their branches, you will notice that in most cases the only security is a tired-looking guard with an archaic weapon in his hand. I have seen even this lone security guard being sent on errands by bank employees to fetch tea or pay-in slips from another part of the bank. In one particular bank, the security guard was sitting inside the bank, cleaning the rifle. I have also seen guards taking a good nap while on duty. I wonder whether these guards are trained to deal with robberies or even terror attacks for that matter. The guards and their weapons certainly do not inspire confidence. In fact, most banks have no security drill. Even their employees are not trained to deal with a bank heist or any such emergency. It is no wonder that after every robbery, the police complains about the banks’ apathy to safety and security. During the beginning of the year, following a daring robbery in broad-daylight on a busy street in Bangalore, the police criticised the banks for not making any efforts to secure their premises. Only a year before that, the Ludhiana police, following a bank hold-up, had undertaken a survey on bank security and found that most banks there did not have functional alarms, CCTVs or even night guards. Worse, 46 (out of 326) banks did not even have security guards. Now after a spate of robberies in Delhi, the police is complaining that banks do not follow their advisories sent from time to time on security. There are no CCTVs, no alarms, and at one of the banks the dacoits had looted, the lone security guard was nowhere in sight. In 2005, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) in Hyderabad had shown his exasperation with the attitude of the banks when he had urged customers to threaten to withdraw their money from the banks that did not provide adequate security measures. In fact, in the case of Col DS Sachar vs Punjab and Sind Bank (Revision Petition no 1046 of 2003, decided on April 28, 2005), the apex court had warned banks that failure to provide adequate safety and security to customers and their money constituted deficiency in service, and banks were liable to pay for any loss or suffering caused to the client as a result of such deficiency. The case pertained to an incident in 1999 where someone had snatched a bundle of notes from the hand of Colonel Sachar as he was handing it over to the cashier, and escaped on a scooter with the money, totalling Rs 45,000. Quoting the RBI guidelines on the provision of security at bank premises, Colonel Sachar had argued before the court that there was gross violation of the guidelines by the bank. In this case, the apex court had directed the bank to pay the customer Rs 45,000 along with interest at the rate of 9 per cent and also Rs 5,000 as the cost of litigation.
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