Taking lesson from the loot incident of Tuesday when unidentified robbers snatched Rs29 lakh at gunpoint from an employee of a microfinance company, Ranchi Police are eyeing foolproof security measures for non-banking financial companies (NBFC) operating in the city.
Area manager of a Chennai-based microfinance firm, Ashirvad Microfinance Pvt ltd, was mugged by armed and unidentified robbers at the entrance to his Bariatu office in Sanskriti Vihar locality of Bariatu on Tuesday. A Special Investigation Team formed by Senior Superintendent of Police Kuldeep Dwivedi, along with Crime Investigation Department sleuths, is trying to locate the culprits and stolen money.
“Banks, and now NBFCs, are soft targets for robbers as these establishments handle money in bulk. Nowadays, NBFCs move substantial amounts of money but without the security provisions which should be employed,” stated Superintendent of Police (City) Kishor Kaushal.
He further stated, “As per regulations, NBFCs should have permission from the district administration to carry out financial activities in the district. We will now thoroughly look into NBFCs operating in Ranchi – whether they are properly registered or not, whether they follow the prescribed guidelines or not.”
Investigators looking in the robbery are also verifying whether Asirvad Microfinance had permission from Ranchi district administration to do business in Ranchi or not, police sources stated. We currently gathering more information about the company, said the City SP.
The NBFCs will be now under constant watch of policing agencies for two reasons, stated Kaushal, firstly so that they can be protected against criminal activities, and secondly, so that they can be brought down if they turn out to be fronts for swindlers.
Ranchi Police has already extended the facility to business establishments that they can contact their local police station to request police security while moving money in bulk.
“We have told the business fraternity of the city time and again to have strict security arrangements when transporting cash or call us for this purpose. We also have received several requests from Chamber, petrol pumps, banks and they have been provided security,” Kaushal said.
Surprisingly though, no one from Asirvad took the trouble of calling the cops or arrange some security when they were moving a significant sum of Rs29 lakhs on Tuesday. Neither did they bothered when they were moving Rs39 lakhs in cash one week ago, divulged a police official.
The NBFCs usually have the cash they are moving insured and thus, are not much concerned about what happens to the money, a police official said requesting anonymity.
Meanwhile, police has not ruled out the possibility of this heist being pulled off with help from an internal source. “They could have attempted the robbery anywhere between Ratu Road and Bariatu but they chose to do it in front of the office of NBFC in Bariatu. This shows that someone leaked information about the money to the robbers. We are presently interrogating employees of the firm to verify this theory,” a senior police official said.
