Thieves allegedly stole cash and jewellery valued at Rs 40.36 lakh by creating a hole in the wall separating a Union Bank of India (UBI) branch from a marble polishing unit’s office in Surat.
Following the late-night incident on Monday, Surat rural police initiated an investigation and filed a theft complaint.
The Palod branch of Union Bank of India (UBI) operates from premises rented from Sufiya Kagzi in Palod village, near Kim Cross Road. The marble polishing unit’s office is owned by Kagzi, a resident of Kim.
According to reports, criminals allegedly broke through the office’s main entrance on Monday night, creating a huge hole in the wall and then entered the bank.
The accused reportedly decamped after breaking into six bank lockers and taking money, jewellery and other valuables.
Alok Kumar (48), the bank manager and a Kamrej native, found the theft when he arrived at the bank on Tuesday morning. He dialled Kosamba police immediately.
Surat Police Superintendent Hitesh Joyser arrived at the spot along with other police officials. “We are questioning labourers working in the marble polishing unit of Kagzi. There is no CCTV footage and we are using all our techniques to identify the suspects. At present, we don’t know how many suspects there were. We suspect some known person was involved in the theft, as he would have been aware that the bank and marble polishing unit have a common wall,” he said.
A police team attempted to identify the account holders with the assistance of bank employees. According to Kosamba police, some of the holders do not reside in the city.
Cucumbers, apple pieces, an iron bar cutter machine and a glass were found on the bank’s sofa, according to police sources.
The police stated that they believe there may have been more than three individuals who were “hungry and worn out from their work.”
While one of the locker owners, Dhansukh Ahir, claimed in his statement that 45 tolas of gold jewellery valued at Rs 31.36 lakh and Rs 9 lakh had been taken from his locker, police sources reported that three bank lockers were empty.
“The figure of the amount stolen may rise in the coming days once the holders of the two lockers return,” a senior official added.
Sections 305 (a) (theft in a dwelling house), 324 (5) (intent to cause, or knowing that he is likely to cause, wrongful loss or damage to the public or to any person, or causes destruction of any property) and 331(4) (lurking house-trespass or house-breaking by night to commit of an offence) of the BNS Act have been filed by Kumar against unidentified people at the Kosamba police station.
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