Burglars break into bank

Hyderabad:Burglars broke into the Grameena Vikas Bank at Balanagar in Mahbubnagar district over the weekend and fled with 13 kg gold and Rs 13 lakh in cash. The thieves used gas cutters to break into the building and the safe room. The bank did not have security personnel guarding the building and the police said that the burglary could have taken place anytime between Saturday night and Monday morning. However, none of the locals had noticed any unusual sounds from the building, despite it being located in the centre of the town.

Police said that the bank did not have a strong room with standard security measures. It only had a safe room with a normal iron grill, which could be broken into easily. The offenders broke the rear grill and door to enter the bank, which is located on the first floor of the building. They left their tools, gas cylinder, cutters, welding machines and other equipment inside the building after the heist.

The offenders also took the storage device of the CCTV cameras placed inside the bank. “They have taken the storage devices and disconnected the cameras. They have also damaged the computers,” said I. Manoj Kumar, sub-inspector of police of Balanagar.

Bank employees came to know of the burglary on Monday when they entered the premises and found the broken doors of the safe room.

“We got intimation on Monday morning from the bank manager. The bank closed on Saturday evening and opened on Monday. We suspect the burglary must have occurred between these days,” said the SI.

Meanwhile, given the modus operandi, police also suspects the involvement of insiders. “We are questioning the bank staff to check all the possible angles,” said a senior official from Mahbubnagar police.

The Clues team, who visited the spot, said that a highly professional gang was involved in the heist. The gang had conducted a thorough recce of the building before carrying out the burglary. “There is a school and a ground behind the building and housing colony next to that. There’s a restaurant on the ground floor of building and the bank is located on the first floor. The gang had conducted a recce and found the possible hours when they could strike without attracting locals’ attention,” an investigation official said.

A case under Sections 457 (lurking, house trespass or house breaking by night in order to commit offence) and 380 (theft) of Indian Penal Code has been registered by the police. Meanwhile, the Grameena Vikas bank officials have assured that the investors and owners of the pledged gold will get their cash and properties back. They said that they would chalk out a plan to compensate the owners after a meeting with the higher officials of the bank.