Gold Worth Crores Missing from Bank of India Branch in Uttar Pradesh; FIR Filed Against Three Officials
96 packets containing pledged gold ornaments were found missing from the strongroom locker of Bank of India's Bharaul branch in Firozabad
In a major banking fraud case, gold worth crores of rupees pledged by customers against loans has allegedly gone missing from a Bank of India branch in Uttar Pradesh’s Firozabad district, prompting the registration of an FIR against three bank officials, including a former branch manager.
According to police and bank officials, a total of 96 packets containing pledged gold ornaments were found missing from the strongroom locker of Bank of India’s Bharaul branch in Firozabad. The missing gold belonged to customers who had availed gold loans by depositing their jewellery as collateral.
The matter came to light after Dilip Kumar, a staff officer and key custodian of the locker, remained absent from duty without any official information since May 27. His prolonged absence raised suspicion among bank authorities, who were unable to establish contact with him.
Following the development, the matter was escalated to the Bank of India regional office in Agra. A security team comprising senior officials was deputed to inspect the branch. On June 15, a duplicate key was arranged and the locker was opened in the presence of the bank’s panel advocate, with the entire process being videographed. During physical verification, officials discovered that 96 gold loan packets were missing from the locker.
Subsequently, Aditya Pratap Singh, Chief Manager of Bank of India’s Agra Regional Office, lodged a complaint at Araon Police Station. Based on the complaint, police registered an FIR against former Branch Manager Sandeep Yadav, Staff Officer Dilip Kumar, and Credit Officer-cum-Staff Officer Naresh Kumar under provisions related to criminal breach of trust.
Police officials said the exact quantity and value of the missing gold have not yet been disclosed in the FIR, but preliminary estimates suggest that the value could run into several crores of rupees. Investigators have launched a detailed probe and multiple teams, including surveillance units, have been deployed to trace the accused and recover the missing gold.
The incident has raised serious concerns over the safety of pledged assets in banking institutions and the effectiveness of internal controls governing gold loan operations. Banking experts believe the case may trigger a broader review of security protocols and audit mechanisms related to gold-backed lending across branches.
Further investigation is underway.
