Bengaluru Bank Officer Arrested for ₹4 Crore Gold Theft to Fund Online Gambling
Bengaluru Bank Officer Arrested for ₹4 Crore Gold Theft to Fund Online Gambling
Bengaluru, 16 Feb : An assistant branch manager at a national bank in Bengaluru has been arrested for allegedly stealing nearly 2.7 kg of gold ornaments, worth about ₹4 crore, from customer lockers. He sold the gold to finance his online gambling addiction.
Police uncovered the fraud early this year after several customers found that pledged jewellery was missing when they returned to redeem it. An internal audit showed problems with 24 packets of gold; 21 were partially emptied and three were entirely emptied.
Investigators identified the suspect as 34-year-old Kiran Kumar, an assistant manager at the Indian Bank’s Girinagar branch. He allegedly used his access to the locker room, especially when the branch manager was absent, to discreetly remove small amounts of gold over several months.
Authorities say Kumar pawned much of the stolen jewellery at various shops and private finance firms. He reportedly used the money to support his online betting and gambling habits. So far, around 1.2 kg of the stolen gold has been recovered. Police are following leads to find the rest.
The bank filed a formal complaint with the Girinagar Police Station after noticing the losses, and a case of criminal breach of trust has been registered.
Police have advised customers to regularly check their locker contents and keep proper documentation to protect their valuables.
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