|
Rs 9 lakh looted from Mulund bank, No CCTV cameras or Security Gadgets in Sight |
|
MUMBAI: A dacoity of Rs 9 lakh from the Catholic Syrian Bank in Mulund Colony on Thursday morning has shocked local residents, many of whom complained about the slack vigilance by police in the area.
Strangely, the bank had no security guard when seven men armed with choppers and revolvers entered at 8.30 am. Bank officials later said their guard had been on leave for two days. There was a single customer in the bank, which had just opened for the day. The bank manager, cashier and clerk were threatened at gunpoint and the dacoits took cash from the bank's lockers. They did not touch the lockers containing jewellery. The dacoits escaped in a Maruti Esteem car. In addition to not having a guard, the bank also did not have any CCTV or security gadgets installed. Said a local resident, who did not wish to be named, "There is no police presence in our area, although the local DCP claims that she has introduced beat policing in Mulund. We feel increasingly unsafe." But DCP Marie-Lou Fernandes denied allegations that the police were slack. She said the location of the Catholic Syrian Bank, despite being in a busy residential area, made it a potential target for robbers. Fernandes said the Mulund police had recently conducted a meeting with managers from several banks. "We informed them, including the manager of the Catholic Syrian Bank, about measures to prevent dacoities. But none of these measures were followed by this bank," she said. from Times of India |
