Nagpur: The growing incidents of ATM breakings and banks sounding alarm notwithstanding, a bank is acting different. The ATM of this bank, in fact, is extending an open invitation to desperate crooks to try a break-in and become rich. The bank in this context is Axis Bank and its ATM, located near Tatya Tope Hall on a busy main road. The ATM is giving invitation to burglars could be gauged from the fact that it is never guarded by security personnel. Moreover, an incident on Sunday (November 30) exposed the Axis Bank’s devil-may-care attitude. And police, too.
On Sunday, around 2.30 pm, some citizens namely Manish Tamhankar, Prasad Kogje and Prashen H. Kyawal went to the Axis Bank ATM near Tatya Tope Hall to withdraw money. During the process, they heard eerie voices coming from rear side of the ATM Machine. A scrutiny revealed that the ATM Machine being tampered with and some parts broken. The citizens also found a suspicious man picking ATM receipts thrown in the waste basket obviously for knowing the details of the consumers such as card number, balance in accounts etc.
Taken aback by the revelation, the trio first contacted the Police Control Room on 100 and informed about the incident. But even after waiting for 25-30 minutes, police did not come. Thereafter, 15-20 calls to the Control Room went in vain as either the calls were getting cut or no policemen were coming. At the same time, a patrolling vehicle passed through the spot but did not stop even after signalling it to stop. Maybe the jurisdiction mattered but stopping and further action could have easily been done. The three citizens then searched for Pratap Nagar Police Station number and called them. This time the cops arrived at the spot within ten minutes.
However, Manish Tamhankar, Prasad Kogje and Prashen H. Kyawal were surprised to find the cops scratching their heads and in confusing stance. The police revealed that this is the second time within a short period such incident has been reported. The cops themselves were in a puzzled mind frame over the attitude of Axis Bank officials.
The citizens luckily got the phone number of Axis Bank official. But more shocks were in store for them. The Axis Bank official informed them that the ATM Machine is looked after by a private company named Prizm ATM Management Company or Prizm Payment Services Pvt Ltd to be precise. The Axis Bank official pleaded helplessness as he could not be of any help in the matter. He only helped by way of giving phone number of the Prizm Company.
Alert Citizen’s who called Police
A call to the Prizm Company too was not that useful. The official at the other end carelessly told the three citizens to guard the ATM Centre themselves till the men from the company, situated in Nandanvan area, arrive at the spot.
However, even after waiting for an hour or so the men from Prizm Company did not arrive forcing the citizens to down the shutter of ATM Centre and leave the spot for their other work.
The Axis Bank ATM has been at the mercy of itself and waiting to be targeted by the crooks thanks to the careless attitude of bank officials, the private company managing the ATM and to some extend Pratap Nagar Police Station.
No need to mention that it is the responsibility of banks to make sure their ATMs are properly attended and secured. Citizens call police and in return police call bank. In between the customers are victims.
