The police on Thursday released three-point security measures to be incorporated into each of the 2,580 ATMs in the City. The steps were appointing security guards 24x7, installing burglar alarms and CCTV cameras to capture visuals inside and outside the ATM kiosks. All these were to be completed by 4 pm on Sunday.
While banks balked at the idea of getting all this in place in three days, the police remained firm.
As the 4 pm deadline expired, a reality check revealed that most ATM kiosks were still unguarded. The crackdown began around 7 pm, with local police inspectors put in charge of shutting down all non-complying ATM kiosks in their jurisdiction. By late night, at least 1,037 ATM kiosks were shut down across the City.
Police Commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar told Deccan Herald that they had given banks a long rope and sufficient time to act. “We decided to act as most of them had not complied with the orders,” he said.
The police, who had identified the ATMs, had the bank officials lock them and served a notice on the officials. Where bank officials were not available, police themselves closed the kiosks and pasted notices.
The notice stated that in view of the non-compliance of the orders issued by the commissioner, all transactions had been prohibited until the security measures were implemented .
Kamal Pant, Additional Commissioner (Law & Order), said most ATM kiosks did not even have burglar alarms. Banks had posted guards at many booths.
“No ATM kiosk without a guard was spared. The police will in a phase-wise manner enforce the installation of burglar alarm across the city,” he said.
The south division topped the crackdown list with closure of 234 kiosks. While the north division closed down 160, the count in west was 142, east 191, southeast 165, north-east 65 and Central division had closed down 80 kiosks – arriving at a total figure of 1,037 kiosks being shut down by Sunday late night.
An official from Corporation Bank said they had ensured guards and CCTV cameras at all centres.
He held the police responsible for creating panic. He said a meeting of State-level bankers committee would be convened soon.
Ravindra Bhandari, general manager and in charge of ATMs , Canara Bank, said they had tried their best to follow the instructions of the government. “We have ensured that there are guards in all our 508 ATM kiosks and have also installed CCTV cameras in the kiosks,” he said. “In Canara Bank alone, over 1.5 lakh transactions happen each day contributing to over Rs 50 crore transaction. Shutting down the ATMs would definitely lead to a lot of inconvenience and panic among the customers,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jyothi Uday, the 44-year-old woman who was attacked in an ATM kiosk near the BBMP office, is said to be recovering. Dr N K Venkataramana, chief neurosurgeon and vice-chairman, BGS Global Hospitals, said physiotherapy sessions were on. “She is now able to sit,” he said.
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