Burglars break into PNB, find vault unbreakable

Manage to take two TVs from bank in failed mission

Assailants broke into the Preet Vihar branch of Punjab National Bank, but failed to take money from the cash vault. They, however, chose against leaving empty handed and made away with two TVs from the bank in east Delhi, police said on Thursday.

Police retrieved CCTV footage, but found that the burglary was not captured. The bank was closed on Wednesday due to employees’ strike to protest the proposed banking sector reforms and to demand revision of wages.

The bank manager was alerted about the incident after the emergency alarm rang and a message was sent to him on his mobile phone.

The official along with other senior officials reached the bank and a call was given to the police control room.

“I have an application installed in my phone which connects the emergency alarm in the bank to my phone. In case of an emergency, I get a message on my phone. On Wednesday, I received an alert around 10.30 pm and rushed to the bank along with other officials. After seeing that the grill has been cut, I called up police,” the manager told police.

Police have begun investigation along with a team of fingerprint experts. It is suspected that the burglars had also tried to break the locker room, but failed to gain entry. They had managed to break the iron locks, but could not open the main locker as it was password-protected. It is suspected that they accused fled on hearing the alarm.

“After failing to take any cash, the assailants uprooted two LCD television sets installed inside the bank,” said a police officer.

The probe by police also effected bank’s work on Thursday. “The bank was kept closed for public between 10.30 am and 12.30 pm,” the officer added.
A case of house-breaking and theft has been registered against unknown persons with Preet Vihar police station.

The bank is situated on the ground floor of a four-storey building, the strong room is situated in the basement. An ATM is also situated nearby and one guard is deployed outside the bank ATM round the clock. Police is questioning the night security guard in connection with the case.