Burglars clean out seven bank lockers in Mandi Gobindgarh

Surinder Bhardwaj

Fatehgarh Sahib, November 3

Burglars struck at the Central Bank of India branch in Mandi Gobindgarh on the national highway and decamped with jewellery, cash and valuables worth lakhs of rupees after breaking open seven lockers using cutters in the wee hours of today.

The burglars, three to four in number, also tried to break open the chest, but couldn’t succeed.

The matter came to light in the morning, following which bank officials and higher police officials rushed to the scene to assess the loss and initiate investigation. A team of fingerprint experts and dog squad were called in. Police teams have been formed to arrest the suspects.

As the news spread, anxious locker holders and other bank clients rushed to the branch to examine their lockers. Those whose lockers were broken into said they had lost their life savings and accused the bank of failing to make adequate security arrangements. DSP (Punjab Bureau of Investigation) GS Bains said around 12.30 am, the burglars gained access into the bank from an adjacent vacant plot by breaking the exhaust fan.

The DSP said there was lack of adequate security at the bank. He said prima facie it seemed the suspects conducted recce to identify loopholes. Pointing to security lapses, he questioned the rationale behind having an exhaust outlet in the strong room, which was against the rules.

He said the security system wing of the bank failed to properly examine vulnerable points of the bank, located on GT Road.He said the role of bank employees would be investigated. Police would call the locker owners to assess their loss, he added.

A case under Sections 457 and 380 of the IPC had been registered against unidentified persons and investigation initiated.