Robbers dig 50-feet tunnel through Mumbai bank, empty 27 lockers
In a daring theft, robbers dug a 50-feet tunnel into a bank in Navi Mumbai and escaped with valuables from 27 lockers. The value of the loot, which consisted cash and gold jewelry, is still being ascertained. The robbery was discovered when a customer went inside to deposit valuables in their locker this morning. The bank was closed for the last two days.
A 'Shawshank Redemption' style robbery
The robbery took place at the Bank of Baroda's Juinagar branch. Police found a tunnel dug to the bank through the store next door, which was reportedly rented out recently. Sources said the tunnel was dug through as many as five shops. The robbers entered through the tunnel and left through it too. It is still not clear when exactly the heist happened.
A reminder of a daring Ghaziabad robbery earlier this year
A similar robbery took place in Ghaziabad in June, when robbers drilled a two-foot hole in the wall of a strongroom at a Punjab National Bank branch and made away with items worth crores. The burglars cut open a common nine-inch-thick wall between the bank's strongroom and a derelict office in a factory campus. The robbery was discovered the next morning.
Can the customers claim from the bank what they lost?
According to an RTI reply from RBI and other banks in June, "the relationship (banks) have with customers with regard to lockers is that of lessee (landlord) and lessor (tenant)", effectively meaning banks aren't liable for loss of valuables kept in lockers.
