Early today in the morning, a smallish nondescript post office in Baranagore in the northern fringes of the city has been relieved of cash amounting to several lakhs of rupees. Police, coming from their station close by, fear there may be an insider hand in the loot happening.
But this incident pales in comparison to what happened at a State Bank of India ATM (Automated Teller Machine) yesterday at Bali in Howrah district. There, from the ATM cash vault, all 500-rupee notes are found missing when a check was done yesterday. The amount: Rs.5.5 lakhs.
The theft at Bali ATM is like a fairy tale. Why? Because no one knows when exactly that happened. It came to notice when the bank’s customers complained that they’re not getting 500-rupee notes even for higher withdrawals. Initially, the bank authorities felt the machine was faulty.
Only later it transpired that the story is rather grave. The thieves have opened the ATM vault using the 6-digit secret password and emptied the tray that carried 500-rupee currency.
According to police it’s difficult to comprehend how the theft took place. The 6-digit secret password was not known to any single person. One person knew the first 3 digits, another the rest.
Clearly a complex issue for the police to find answer for, but who knows there may be an insider hand in Bali as well.
Also read: Bizarre happenings of 2005
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