Three women allegedly stole ₹1 lakh from a customer inside and outside a Punjab National Bank (PNB) branch in Agra. One of the women blocked the customer’s path as he was leaving the bank, while the other two approached him from behind, unzipped his bag and stole the cash within seconds. The entire incident was captured on CCTV cameras installed at the bank.
The victim, Vikram Singh, a resident of Purani Abadi in Dhanauli, works as a labourer. According to his complaint, his mother, Lakshmi Devi, holds an account at the PNB branch in Naripura. As she needed money, Vikram accompanied her to the bank at around 11:30 AM on Thursday to withdraw cash. After withdrawing ₹1 lakh, they placed the money in a bag and began leaving the bank.
Lakshmi Devi stepped out through the gate first, followed by Vikram. As he bent down to pass through the metal gate, a woman suddenly appeared in front of him and blocked his path for a few seconds. Vikram was able to leave only after she moved aside.
Once outside the bank, Vikram reached into his bag to take out his motorcycle keys. He then noticed that the bag’s zipper was open and realised that the ₹1 lakh he had withdrawn had been stolen. He immediately returned to the bank to report the incident and later informed the police.
The police examined the CCTV footage and found that the three women had allegedly been standing near Vikram while he was withdrawing the money, apparently watching the transaction. Afterward, one of the women moved towards the exit gate, while the other two positioned themselves behind Vikram.
As Vikram approached the exit, the woman standing in front of him blocked his way and distracted him. During those few seconds, the other two women allegedly unzipped his bag, took the cash and fled from the spot.
DCP (City) Syed Ali Abbas said that the police have registered an FIR and are investigating the matter with the help of CCTV footage.
PNB has removed security guards from almost all branches. A security guard could help prevent such incidents by monitoring suspicious people inside and outside the branch. In this case, the guard could have noticed the women following the customer and blocking his path at the exit, alerted him, and informed the bank staff or police.
