Locker Owners In PNB’s Delhi Branch Report Missing Jewellery; Police Start Investigation

Gold jewellery was found missing from a locker at a Punjab National Bank branch located in West Delhi, according to a report by Press Trust of India. According to an official cited in the report, the incident has triggered a police investigation.

According to the Delhi Police, the incident was revealed after the locker owners visited the bank branch located in Delhi’s Tagore Market in Kirti Nagar. A woman and her mother-in-law, joint owners of the locker, were shocked to find their jewellery missing.

According to the media report, the locker was opened following standard operating procedure in the presence of officials of Punjab National Bank.

The owners first reported the incident to the bank authorities and later approached the Delhi Police, alleging theft of their gold ornaments.

A police team inspected the bank premises and checked other lockers at the branch. The police said there were no signs of suspicious activity in the locker room and no tampering with the locker was observed.

“No other locker was found broken or tampered with,” the police statement said. The worth of the jewellery could not be ascertained.

Bank lockers are managed on the basis of a dual-key system, which requires simultaneous access using the customer’s key and the bank’s key.

As other locker holders became aware of the incident, several visited the branch to check their belongings. However, the police said no other incident of theft was reported by any other locker owners.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police have registered a case and are investigating the matter. They are examining the bank’s CCTV cameras and past records of the premises.

According to the Reserve Bank of India’s rules, banks face limited liability on lockers in cases of theft or fraud. The liability is restricted to 100 times the annual rent of the safety deposit locker. However, private insurance options are available to locker owners.