Within 48-hours of reports of unknown miscreants entering into Islamnagar branch of Punjab National Bank in Badaun and later setting it ablaze after failing to enter strong room, the so-called strengthening of security around banks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s demonetisation move once again stand exposed in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.
The miscreants freely entered into State Bank of India (SBI) branches in Saharanpur and Gazipur districts respectively and swept over 11 lakh of rupees. In both the places, the sensational crime came to the fore only when the bank staff reached on Saturday morning. Senior officers who reached the spot claimed to have registered case and were making efforts to trace out the miscreants and subsequently to lay a trap on them.
According to reports from Saharanpur in the first case, some unknown miscreants broke entered into the SBI branch at Babebpur Bujurg under Behat police station area sometime on late Friday night. They tried to enter the strong room but when they failed, they took away Rs 10 lakh (in Rs 20 and Rs 10 denomination kept in a sack} and escaped safely from the bank. On Saturday morning, when the staff reached bank, they found the locks broken and informed the manager after which the police was called.
In another case report from Gazipur district, some unidentified miscreants sneaked inside the SBI branch at PG College under Kotwali police station area also sometime on late Friday night. Interestingly much to the relief of bank officials, here also once again the miscreants failed to open the strong room so they preferred to take away a sack in which over Rs 1 lakh was kept in coins. The SBI manager who learnt of the incident on Saturday morning, informed the police. Teams were formed to work out both the cases.
Meanwhile clerk of a leading grain merchant of Pratapgarh was also shot and Rs 4 lakh was looted from him on Fridaynight. Reports said that 30-year-old Virendra Pal, a native of Ishwarpur area, was working as collection clerk of leading food-grains supplier Shyamji Seth. On Friday, he along with two other employees identified as Mahendra Kumar and Prem Kumar Prajapati, went out for collection of money from other traders. As they left the general merchant shop of one Abhisekh under Kotwali police station in Pratapgarh, two motorcycle borne miscreants intercepted and opened fire burst on them. While Virendra, who received multiple bullets collapsed on the spot, the other two managed to slip. The miscreants later snatched the bag containing over Rs 4 lakh in cash and escaped. The injured Virendra was rushed to hospital but the doctors pronounced him dead upon arrival. A case has been registered and efforts were made to trace out the criminals and to arrest them.