ATM security: It's a serious issue, Pune city top cop tells bankers

Taking cognizance of Automated Teller Machines (ATM)’s security in the city, the Pune police commissioner Gulabrao Pol said that the Pune police would not hesitate to file criminal case against those responsible for the security of an ATM if anything untoward happens in the ATM. He was referring to the incident in which a woman was robbed and attacked in a Bangalore ATM a few days ago.

Pol had called a special meeting with the city bankers at police headquarters at Shivajinagar on Friday. He came down heavily on the private and public sector banks for their lax security arrangements at various ATM centres in the city. He has warned the banks against shirking their responsibility and putting the onus on the police department.

Speaking to dna, Pol said, “It is the duty of the banks to ensure that a security guard is posted outside each ATM. If the banks need arms licenses, we will provide them immediately but the names of security guards who will be given arms licenses should be registered with us. We will arrange a special window where the bankers can avail information and register the names of the security guards.”

Over the complaint on excessive cost of maintaining security guards, Pol said that bankers should not take the issue lightly. “We don’t want a repeat of Bangalore incident and hence I have kept an open door policy for the banking fraternity. The bank officials can come to me any time to get their grievances addressed,” he said.