‘Teaseller who robbed six banks got duplicate keys from three bank officials’

The police said that before he began his crime spree, Barik used to deliver tea to banks in Dadar, which is how he became acquainted with the three accomplices who have now been arrested, and convinced them to help him.
Barik, an Odisha native, was arrested in September this year for allegedly stealing Rs 55 lakh from the strongroom of Ghatkopar branch of the Canara Bank, and subsequent investigations revealed that he had similarly burgled five other banks.

Last week, the police arrested two officials with the Dena Bank and one with the Union Bank in Dadar for allegedly abetting him in his crimes. The police said that Barik gained access to the Dena Bank’s Dadar West branch twice, once in 2006 and again in 2012, stealing Rs. 20.4 lakhs and Rs. 29 lakhs respectively, and had broken into the Union Bank and stolen Rs. 15 lakhs in 2011.

The arrested accused have been identified as Umesh Bakale and Subhash Kamble from Dena Bank, and Mohan Indulkar with the Union Bank. Both these branches are around 50 meters apart on the Ranade Road, which is very close to Dadar Railway station.

“Barik worked in the Dadar area, serving tea to various offices and stores in and around Ranande Road between the 2002 and 2012. Barik in his confession has told us that he was first approached by Bakale, who hatched the plan to steal from the bank and also the idea to use an umbrella to hide from the CCTVs. This later became Barik’s modus operandi, which he used while burgling other banks as well,” said an officer with the Shivaji Park police station.

The officer added that Bakale was suspended by the bank in 2006 for three and a half years for supervisory failure.
Kamble, who worked in the same branch, was later transferred to the Govandi branch of the bank, where he again helped Barik to gain access into the bank’s vault.

“All the three accused have confessed to having provided duplicate keys to the banks as well as their strongrooms to Barik,” said the officer.

Police officers have the bank employees with abetting a break-in and criminal conspiracy. All the accused are currently in judicial custody.

rohit.alok@expressindia.com