Gurgaon Bank Locker Scandal: Four SBI Officials Arrested for Illegal Break-In
In a shocking incident at the State Bank of India branch in Sector 15, Faridabad, four bank officials have been arrested for allegedly breaking open a locker belonging to a chartered accountant without adhering to due procedures. The arrests highlight serious lapses in banking security and compliance with Reserve Bank of India guidelines.
Software Glitch Leads to Unauthorized Action
During interrogation, the accused revealed that the locker appeared "empty" in the bank's system after data migration from the Core Banking System (CBS) to a new Locker Management Software (LAMP) in March 2024. This technical error, which affected 793 lockers during the transfer process, led officials to mistakenly believe the locker was vacant. Specifically, 686 lockers were transferred in the first phase and 102 in the second, but five lockers, including that of the chartered accountant, DC Garg, were not migrated and showed as empty.
Despite the system indicating vacancy, the locker contained approximately 1 kg of gold and 3 kg of silver jewellery, which remained intact. The bank officials, however, proceeded to break it open based on the erroneous data, bypassing established protocols.
Violation of RBI Norms and Procedural Irregularities
Police investigations uncovered multiple violations of RBI norms in the locker break-in process. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Mukesh Malhotra stated, "Investigators found serious irregularities in the process of breaking the lockers, which indicates possible wrongdoing." Key discrepancies included:
- Calling an unauthorized vendor through a WhatsApp message instead of issuing a formal authorization letter.
- Routing payments of Rs 50,000 through the bank account of Hema, the wife of a computer operator at the bank.
- Generating 12 bills of Rs 15,000 each in the name of operator Tahir under the pretext of locker replacement, with payments processed through the bank.
Additionally, the vendor hired to break the locker was authorized by a different company than the one that manufactured the locker system, yet the branch manager allowed the work to proceed.
Victim's Account and Bank's Negligence
Chartered accountant DC Garg, who had operated the locker since 2014, reported that the bank allotted it to another person without informing him, even though locker fees were regularly deducted from his account and he still possessed the key. This oversight compounded the breach of trust and procedural failure.
The arrested individuals include then branch manager Preeti Kataria, service manager Bhavana Narwal, AK Singh, and vendor Neeraj Sharma. A court has remanded them in police custody until March 11, with authorities planning to seek an extension for further questioning to uncover the full extent of the misconduct.
This case underscores critical issues in bank locker management and the imperative for strict adherence to regulatory standards to protect customer assets.
