A shocking case of missing gold worth ₹50 lakh has surfaced at the Bank of Baroda branch in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh. The gold, approximately 40 tolas, was stored in a locker belonging to Darogha Singh, a long-time customer who had rented the locker since 1991. The gold was kept in three separate pouches, but when Singh opened the locker on April 22, 2025, he found that two of the pouches were missing, with only one remaining.
Singh claims that he had not accessed the gold himself nor allowed any family member to do so. However, the bank initially blamed him for mishandling the locker. The bank’s locker in-charge, Anita Koreti, had offered Singh a temporary locker due to seepage issues in the original locker room. Singh retained the keys during the transition period, but when he opened the temporary locker, he found that the gold was missing.
The police have registered a case against the Bank of Baroda management under Section 316(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing. The case has taken several turns, with bank officials claiming that Singh’s daughter had accessed the locker, which she has denied. A Godrej technician, Sukhwinder Singh, had also been called to repair the locker multiple times, raising suspicions about potential tampering.
The Durg Superintendent of Police, Vijay Agrawal, has confirmed that a case has been registered, and the Bhilai Nagar Police have begun formal investigations. The Bank of Baroda management has declined to comment on the matter, directing all queries to their head office. The incident has raised serious allegations and concerns about the security and handling of customer belongings by the bank.
The police investigation is expected to uncover the truth behind the missing gold and determine whether the bank or any of its employees are responsible for the theft. The case highlights the importance of ensuring the security and integrity of bank lockers and the need for transparent and accountable banking practices.