In recent days, several cases of theft have been reported from branches of Punjab National Bank in Madhya Pradesh. Thieves stole cash from bags of customers who withdrew cash from the branches of Punjab National Bank. Several cases have been filed with the police, which subsequently started the investigation.
In most of the cases, the thieves were women. During interrogation, the arrested women revealed that they were part of a big gang that targets bank branches. The thefts were not random incidents but the thefts were planned carefully.
As per reports, these women targeted Punjab National Bank branches because PNB has removed security guards from almost all of its branches. Due to the absence of security guards, there was no one at the branch entrance to closely monitor visitors. In some cases, the women would bump into a customer at the main gate as the customer entered the branch, while another woman would steal cash from the customer. In other cases, several women would gather around a customer near the counters and carefully steal cash from them.
During police interrogation, the women revealed that they would use Google Maps to find the locations of banks near the railway station. They would then check train arrival times using the MyTrain app and exit the station.
Immediately after committing the crime, they would return to the station and board a train to leave. The women in the gang traveled from Madhya Pradesh by train to Delhi and then Shamli. According to Madhya Pradesh Police data, police from various states have so far recovered over 11 crore rupees from women. Currently, police are searching for other accused women who are still at large.
Punjab National Bank should immediately consider deploying security guards at its branches to protect customers and their money. Security guards may not be able to stop every bank robbery, but their presence can help prevent thefts and keep an eye on suspicious people inside the branch.
