Chandigarh: Rs 4.04 crore stolen from currency chest at Axis Bank, suspect security guard missing

Five Punjab Police personnel were deputed in the security of Axis bank when the theft took place.

The incident came to light on Sunday afternoon when bank officials found cash missing from the trunk.

3 min readChandigarhApr 12, 2021 12:14 AM IST First published on: Apr 12, 2021 at 12:14 AM IST

Rs 4.04 crore were stolen from the currency chest of Axis Bank in Sector 34, on Saturday night. Police said Sunil Kumar, the 30-year-old security guard with the private bank is a suspect in the matter.

Kumar, a resident of Morni Hills area in Panchkula, has been missing since the incident occurred. The incident came to light on Sunday afternoon when bank officials found cash missing from the trunk. ASP Shruti Arora, SHO PS 34, Inspector Rajeev Kumar, crime branch personnel, a forensic team and a dog squad rushed to the spot.

Interestingly, five Punjab Police personnel were deputed in the security of Axis bank when the theft took place. Footage from the CCTV cameras installed at the premises suggests that Sunil Kumar went in and exited the bank several times while committing the crime.

Police said the bank management used to keep the currency notes in this branch for further distribution to other branches and ATM booths. They added that spot inspection revealed that the stolen amount was kept in an iron trunk, which was found to be broken from the back. The locks on it were intact.

There were around 11 trunks, some loaded with cash, in the bank when the theft took place. However, the suspect stole money from one trunk only. Police have recorded statements of the five Punjab Police personnel who were present on duty at the time.

“So far, there is no involvement of Punjab Police personnel in the theft. We have registered a case against unidentified person. The involvement of security guard Sunil has been established from the scrutiny of CCTV camera footage. He is absconding. Raids to arrest him are on. Different teams have been constituted to crack this case,” said SP (Chandigarh) Ketan Bansal.

Sources said that suspect Sunil Kumar is a divorcee. He had joined a private security firm around eight months back and was deputed at the bank only six days ago.

Police sources said Sunil was scheduled to remain on night duty till 7 am but was not seen at the duty point post 2.15am. The police personnel at the spot informed the bank officials about Sunil’s disappearance around 6 am.

“The guard of Punjab Police personnel was deputed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). There are multilayer rooms in the bank where cash trunks are kept. The cops were supposed to be present in separate enclosures, but they were all present in one room. A bank officer claimed that the purpose of double security, including a private security guard and police security, was to keep a cross check on the happenings inside. It is a sensitive place. The UT Police have also intimated Punjab Police about the theft from under its personnel’s nose,” said a police officer.

Sources said that there are inputs that Sunil Kumar was involved in petty crimes earlier. A case was registered under sections 457 and 381 of the Indian Penal Code at PS 34.