In a shocking incident, gold worth 30-35 tolas has been stolen from a locker at Punjab National Bank (PNB) in Karnal. The theft came to light when a woman, Jyoti, visited the bank to collect her jewellery but found her locker broken and many purses empty. Several pieces of gold and silver jewellery were missing, leaving her in distress.
Jewellery Missing from Bank Locker
The incident took place at a PNB branch near the old tehsil in Karnal. On receiving the complaint, the Dial 112 police team rushed to the bank and started questioning the officials. However, the bank manager refused to comment on the matter.
Victim Raises Concerns Over Locker Security
Jyoti, who lives near Subhash Gate, had initially stored her jewellery in a locker at Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC). After OBC merged with Punjab National Bank, her locker was automatically transferred to PNB. She had come to retrieve her jewellery for her cousin’s wedding but was shocked to find it missing.
“We are three sisters, and we had kept our jewellery in this locker for safety. But when we opened it, the larger purses were empty, and only a few small purses contained some gold and silver. The main jewellery was gone,” she said.
Stored for Safety, Yet Stolen
Jyoti revealed that she had kept her gold sets, chains, bracelets, and earrings in the locker about one and a half years ago due to frequent thefts in her neighborhood. “I trusted the bank as the safest place, but now even my jewellery has been stolen from here. How can this happen?” she questioned.
Police Begin Investigation
When Jyoti reported the theft to the bank officials, they expressed ignorance and claimed they had no information. Left with no choice, she called the police. The Dial 112 team inspected the bank and inquired about the situation.
ERV in-charge Ramesh confirmed that the matter falls under the jurisdiction of the City Police Station. “We have informed the police station about the case, and action will be taken based on the complaint,” he said.
The incident has raised serious concerns about the safety of bank lockers. Customers are now questioning how valuables can go missing from what is supposed to be a secure facility. The police are expected to conduct a detailed investigation into the matter.
