Install CCTVs in 7 days, banks told

The Gurgaon police issues a seven-day ultimatum to all banks in Gurgaon to get CCTV cameras installed, reports Sanjeev K Ahuja.

Taking cognisance of the HT report highlighting missing CCTV cameras at the Sector 55 branch of Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC), which was robbed on Wednesday, the Gurgaon police have issued a seven-day ultimatum to all banks in the city to get CCTV cameras installed.

HT Image

Five armed robbers had struck the OBC bank, held the staff and customers hostage at gunpoint and robbed Rs. 1.48 crores.

The Gurgaon police also announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh to anyone providing clues about the robbers. The police also called upon the bank authorities to be prompt in reporting incidents of robbery unlike Wednesday, when the bank staffers reportedly informed the police 16 minutes after the robbery.

Still hunting for clues, the Gurgaon police had issued pen-sketches of two of the five robbers.

On Thursday, DCP (East) Jagdish Nagra called an emergency meeting of bankers of the city. “We have asked the bankers to install CCTV cameras in all of their branches within seven days. Had OBC’s Sector 55 branch had its CCTV cameras in place, we could have identified the robbers and could have probably initiated our investigating in the definite direction,” the DCP Said.

Police also made it clear to the bank authorities that they should get periodical technical servicing of the alarm system.

Nagra also asked them to be prompt in informing the police in robbery cases. “On Wednesday, OBC informed us 16 minutes after the robbers fled. They also did not press the buzzer to alert the police. We lost on very crucial first 30-minute action, which we could have initiated by blocking all the exit points of the city,” he added.

Locals leaked the information

ACP (East) Sumit Kuhar investigating the robbery said the dialect used by the robbers closely resembles with the people of the local villages. “Villagers from areas along Gurgaon-Faridabad Road visit the bank on regular basis. We suspect these locals had information of the cash transaction and leaked it to the robbers,” the ACP said.

Robbers ignored other vaults

The police said since the robbers had specific information about the cash lying inside the vault, they targeted a specific vault with Rs. 1.48 crore. Another vault next to it, with Rs 10 lakh inside, was not touched.