Private bank employee arrested for locker theft in Chennai
According to the police, Swaroopa Rani Sivakumar, who lives in the United States, held a locker at the Velachery branch of HDFC Bank and had authorised her mother in Chennai to access it
Representative Image
CHENNAI: The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Greater Chennai Police arrested an HDFC Bank employee in connection with a locker theft reported by a non-resident Indian (NRI) customer and recovered all stolen valuables, according to the officials.
According to the police, Swaroopa Rani Sivakumar, who lives in the United States, held a locker at the Velachery branch of HDFC Bank and had authorised her mother in Chennai to access it. During a routine check, the family found that gold jewellery weighing 238 grams and cash of Rs 20.6 lakh were missing.
Based on a complaint filed by Swaroopa Rani's brother, Senthilkumar, the case was registered on November 12 and taken up for investigation. During the probe, the special team identified the bank’s Grade-II Manager and Locker Vault In-charge as the suspect.
The police said the employee had opened the locker without authorisation, removed the jewellery, sold it to a private pawn shop in Velachery for twenty-one lakh rupees, and hid the remaining cash inside the bank premises. The CCB recovered Rs 20.6 lakh and 188 grams of melted gold.
The accused was produced before the XI Metropolitan Magistrate, Saidapet, and remanded in Puzhal Central Prison.
