Mumbai: SBI staffer held for stealing gold worth Rs 3 cr from customer's bank locker

Representation image. File pic

A State Bank of India (SBI) staffer and one more person have been arrested for allegedly taking 4 kilograms of gold worth Rs 3 crore from the lender's locker, a Mumbai police official said on Monday, reported news wire PTI.

The accused are identified the arrested persons as Manoj Maruti Mhaske (33), working as service manager in the SBI's personal banking branch in Mulund West and Fareed Sheikh, who helped the former to sell gold. They were held in a case registered on the complaint of Amit Kumar, who works as an administrator at the branch, the police said.

As per PTI report, the police officer said that on February 27, Kumar realised 59 out of 63 packets of gold kept in his locker were missing. Mhaske was on leave that day. Mhaske told him he had taken the gold but promised to return it later. On the direction of senior authorities at the bank, Kumar approached police.

"Our probe found Mhaske indulged in online gambling. He and Sheikh were arrested but the stolen gold has not been recovered. Further probe is underway," police official added.

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Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested a 30-year-old man from Navi Mumbai for allegedly sharing information about restricted areas in the country with a Pakistan-based intelligence operative (PIO), the ATS said on Monday.

During a probe, the ATS found the accused was in touch with the PIO from November 2021 to May 2023 via Facebook and WhatsApp and shared the sensitive information multiple times through those social media platforms, the ATS said in a release.

A case has been registered against the man and the PIO and the Navi Mumbai unit of ATS is conducting further probe into the case.

(With PTI inputs)