Customers who believed their gold was safe inside bank lockers received shocking news in Bengaluruafter a deputy bank manager was arrested for allegedly stealing gold ornaments worth over Rs. 3.5 crore. Police say the accused misused his position to secretly remove gold ornaments kept in customer lockers and pledged them with a finance company, without the knowledge of either the customers or senior bank officials.
According to the police complaint, the accused allegedly removed 2,780 grams of gold ornaments from customer lockers. The gold was reportedly pledged with a finance company to raise money, while customers remained unaware that their valuables had been taken out of the bank vault. The case came into light after the bank’s chief manager filed a complaint at the Girinagar Police Station on February 5. A detailed investigation was launched soon after.
Why did the manager steal the ornaments?
During the inquiry, officials found prima facie evidence claiming that the money raised by pledging the stolen gold was not invested or saved. Instead, investigators believe the funds were spent on online betting.
ALSO READ‘Bet you can’t afford…’: Why a Bengaluru ‘best cheesecake’ bakery made viral ‘rude’ Instagram replies
Confirming the arrest, Lokesh B Jagalasar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), said, “The accused deputy bank manager has been arrested in this case. We are trying to recover the gold. So far, about 700 grams have been recovered.” He added that efforts are ongoing to trace and recover the remaining gold.
More finance companies under scanner
Police have also raised concerns about the lack of cooperation from the finance companies where the gold was pledged. Authorities said this has slowed down the recovery process.
ALSO READNothing store opening in Bengaluru sparks crowd chaos, co-founder responds to controversy
“We are not getting the desired cooperation from the financiers. We will move the court and initiate appropriate legal action against them. Further investigation is underway,” Jagalasar said. In the wake of the incident, police have advised bank customers to check their lockers and ensure their valuables are intact.
Increasing scam cases in Bengaluru
In a separate incident, a 29-year-old software engineer from Bengaluru was cheated of more than Rs. 1.5 crore by a man she met on amatrimonial website.The woman, Navya Shree, met the accused in March 2024 through a community matrimony platform. The man introduced himself as Vijay and claimed to be a wealthy businessman.
He told her that he owned multiple companies, trucks, land, and houses in prime areas of Bengaluru, and claimed his assets were worth hundreds of crores. To gain her trust, he showed her old court documents and promised to marry her soon. Police are investigating the case and have warned people to remain cautious when they interact with unknown individuals on matrimonial platforms. |
