’Bank’ on no one

Nearly two years after an unidentified person was caught on CCTV camera stealing an envelope full of cash from inside a renowned financial institution in Delhi, the victim still awaits justice

'Bank' on no one

Nearly two years after an unidentified person was caught on CCTV camera stealing an envelope full of cash from inside a renowned financial institution in Delhi, the victim still awaits justice

Finally, Mukund Agarwal was forced to take matters into his own hands. At around 12.30pm on May 30, 2009, the 26-year-old was at the HSBC bank at Birla Tower on Barakhamba road. He was carrying a white envelope with Rs 24,500 inside. The only mistake he made was leaving the envelope on a slab inside the bank for a few minutes while he was attending a phone call.u00a0

Mukund is planning to start an online forum against banking fraud. Pic/Mid Day

"I conduct transactions there very regularly as I help my elder brother with his business. That day I was carrying 24,500 rupees in an envelope and it was my mistake to keep the envelope on the slab where I was filling forms while speaking on the phone. I always thought that a bank is one of the most secure places so I was relaxed and never thought that someone will get away with my money," said Mukund, who works with an insurance firm.

Two and a half minutes later the envelope had disappeared. "As soon I realised that I contacted the bank and they started verifying the CCTV camera footage. The camera had caught an unidentified man who was seen taking away the envelope. I requested the bank to check all the transactions made by the man on that day but he was clever enough to have walked out with the money without conducting any other business," explained Mukund.

Police registered an FIR and started probing the case but gave up soon after and filed an untraceable report. Police even advertised about the culprit in the newspapers, with a cash reward of Rs 5,000. After the bank and the police gave up, the victim decided enough was enough. He appealed to the court and got the case reopened. Apart from that he has pasted the picture of the accused outside several banks and is planning to start an online forum against banking fraud.

"The picture of the guy was there, the timing was there, but still the accused remains untraceable. So what do you expect! I requested the court to reopen the case and declared a cash reward for any information on the man. I have also shared the link of my experience on social networking sites so that customers can be aware of such crimes," he added.

"This has happened to me and can happen to anyone. So through my online forum I want others to be aware of such criminals," Mukund explained.

When MiD DAY contacted police officials, they expressed their inability to talk about the case as the man is at large and so far they have failed to identify the person.

Hole in one

Robbers punched a hole in a bank's wall and took away a computer and some documents in west Delhi early last Sunday, police said. There was no guard or surveillance camera at the bank.
The incident was reported from a branch of Syndicate Bank in Bharthal village in Dwarka. A villager noticed the hole in the bank's wall in the morning and immediately informed police.
"The manager Dheeraj Jain was also informed. He came to the spot and opened the bank. We found a computer and some documents missing. But no cash was missing," a senior police official said.u00a0 The robbers tried to open the lockers but could not do so, the official said.

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