M F AHMED
Daltonganj, Oct 25: Daltonganj police are gearing up for a test identification parade of gold and gold contents among the 7 victim locker holders of the United Bank of India (now merged with the PNB). These lockers were tampered with and pilfered by the bankers and other allies, emptying them of all the precious and valuable contents, said police sources.
The officer-in-charge of the town police station Daltonganj, A K Mahatha, said that on the basis of the FIRs lodged, the police have rounded up more than a dozen people including the Branch Manager and Deputy Branch Manager in this locker fraud case. The test identification parade of gold and gold contents will be held only under the order of the Chief Judicial Magistrate here.
Mahatha said, “We have been informed that the Chief Judicial Magistrate will be back here on October 27. After that, a court order may be obtained to hold the test identification parade of gold and gold contents.”
Police sources said the test identification parade of gold etc is set to be held this October end positively.
SP Palamu, Chandan Kumar Sinha said, “Our police are right on the job and we also feel the expediency of restoration of gold and gold contents etc to its lawful locker holders at the earliest.”
A new hope has rekindled among the victim locker holders whose precious articles were removed/stolen from their lockers in the United Bank of India, Daltonganj branch.
Rajiv Mukherjee, PA to Vice-Chancellor, Nilamber Pitamber University is a victim of this locker fraud. He lost his years’ old traditional jewellery along with some new ones.
Other senior personnel of the Nilamber Pitamber University, Ved Prakash Shukla, is also a big victim of the pilferage of the locker in the bank. Shukla said that all his fortune is at stake.
Both the victims said that their wives would be able to identify their jewellery most sincerely and honestly. They want their own jewellery to return to them. They reiterated that the bank played foul with them and this has shaken their confidence.
Some agricultural scientists and doctors too are among the victims of this fraud, said police sources.
Town police have retrieved gold and gold contents worth 748 grams and also1.5 kg from various accused of this case. They are under the care and vigil of the police as of now.
Sources said that the stolen gold and gold contents were mortgaged by the accused for gold loans.
Police officer Mahatha said that the mortgaged gold is with ICICI branch here in Daltonganj and in Muthoot finance Ranchi.
According to the police, the stolen and mortgaged gold are to be first released from the concerned institutions. But it will not be an easy task as it involves some ticklish law issues.
The SP said that he is pursuing the United Bank of India, Daltonganj branch, to take initiative in the release of the mortgaged gold and gold contents. But the bank is not as keen as it ought to be.
A key mechanic and a few lower rung personnel played a major role in getting lockers broken and their contents emptied. The key mechanic was caught and jailed. He used to charge 10,000 rupees from the Deputy Branch Manager for fraudulently opening one locker. The lower rung personnel used to hide the locker room key to enable the fraudsters to commit crimes when other bank officials weren’t present around.
The locker fraud case is the first of its kind here in Palamu which has raised questions on the security system of the banks here.
