Bank customers block road demanding lost jewels

The burglars had decamped with over eight kg of gold jewels and around Rs 19 lakh on their second attempt. The protesters also urged the State Bank of India’s branch administration to return their jewels and cash stolen by the thieves by breaking open the lockers.

A farmer Varadarajan from Kottaipalayam, near Palladam, was all in tears as he claimed to have lost 50 sovereigns of gold jewels kept for his daughter’s marriage.

“I had kept the jewels in the bank assuming that it’s unsafe to keep them at home. Those jewels were hard-earned for my daughter’s marriage with the little money got through farming. Now, I am left with nothing for my daughter,” he said.

The protesters urged the district administration to help them get back their stolen jewels and cash kept in lockers. They also broke into a quarrel with bank officials who held talks with them, for not ensuring the safety of their belongings. They, however, had withdrawn the protest after talks by the police officials.

The bank officials said that the burglars had broken open and emptied 31 lockers out of 116 in the bank. The bank did not employ a security guard and a bank official has failed to notice an automatic alert SMS sent in his mobile number when the main server was disconnected by the burglars.

The police have intensified checks across the district and further investigations are on by special teams of police.