After robbery, it was business as usual at Mohali bank

A day after a robber struck at the Phase VII branch of the State Bank of India in Mohali and decamped with Rs 7.68 lakh, Chandigarh Tribune reporters take stock of the security arrangements at ATM booths and banks in the tricity, nearby areas     

Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, July 26 

A day after a robbery of Rs 7.68 lakh, the authorities at the State Bank of India in Phase VII, Industrial Area  does not seem to have learnt any lesson. 

On Wednesday, during a visit to the bank, it was was again found functioning without a security guard. The staff, however, admitted that they were feeling threatened. 

“We had asked for a security guard several times but to no avail. Yesterday, a robber entered the bank without any fear in the absence of a security guard and opened the fire. What if the bullet had hit any of us,” said the staff. 

Not only the bank in question, around 35 per cent of the banks, including the nationalised and private ones, and nearly 80 per cent of the ATM counters were found functioning sans security guards. 

When contacted, DSP (City-I) Alam Vijay Singh admitted that at least 12 of 40 banks were functioning in his area without security guards. 

“The situation is worst when it comes to ATM booths as nearly 80 per cent of these have no security guards,” said the DSP, who today ordered his teams to conduct a survey of such banks and ATMs in his area. 

The story is almost the same in the area under the jurisdiction of the DSP (City II).  “Several banks have deployed elderly persons as security guards. The weapons, which they carry, have never been used. Nobody checks the weapons. It has been seen several times that these security guards do nothing in case of an emergency,” said the police.  

A meeting between senior official of the police and banks, headed by the DIG, Ropar Range, and the DIG, Patiala Range, was held at the PCA Stadium a couple of months ago. “The banks were told to deploy security guards in their banks and ATM booths. Still, several banks and ATMs are being run without taking proper measures,” said the police.