Shimla
A shocking incident has come to light at a reputed bank located in the district headquarters, where gold jewelry weighing around 40 tolas is allegedly missing from a locker. The estimated value of the missing ornaments is said to be more than ₹50 lakh. The incident has triggered concern and discussion among local residents, while the bank has initiated an internal investigation.
According to reports, Preeti Gupta, a resident of Roda Sector, had opened a joint account and locker facility in the bank along with her father. Her father used to operate the account and reportedly visited the bank regularly. However, he has since passed away, and Preeti Gupta has been living abroad.
After nearly three years, when she returned to her hometown, she visited the bank to access the locker. Upon opening it, she was shocked to find it completely empty. She claims that her father had stored gold jewelry worth lakhs of rupees in the locker, which is now missing.
The sudden disappearance of such a large quantity of gold has raised serious questions about the safety and management of bank lockers. Locals are discussing how valuables kept in a supposedly secure facility could go missing without any clear explanation.
Bank officials, however, have presented their side, stating that lockers function with a dual-key system—one key is with the bank and the other with the customer. They emphasized that access to the locker is only possible when both keys are used together. According to them, since Preeti Gupta’s father was an active account holder, he used to visit the bank periodically and operate the locker.
After his death, the locker reportedly remained unused for a long duration. Bank authorities have also stated that, at this stage, it cannot be confirmed whether the locker actually contained gold jewelry, as there is no direct record of the contents stored inside lockers.
Officials confirmed that they have spoken with Preeti Gupta regarding the issue and assured that a detailed जांच (investigation) is underway. They added that all aspects, including locker operation records and access history, are being examined to determine what exactly happened.
As of now, the situation remains unclear, and the final conclusion will depend on the outcome of the investigation. The incident has once again brought attention to concerns over the security of valuables kept in bank lockers and the need for stricter safeguards and accountability.
