Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Jan 19: Panic and anger erupted outside Kotekar Cooperative Society’s K C Road branch this weekend as customers demanded the return of their pledged gold, following a daring robbery. The heist, which saw valuable gold items stolen from the bank’s lockers, left customers fuming over the security lapse.

Women who had pledged their gold for loans gathered outside the office, chanted, “return our gold!” and expressed their concerns over the lack of safety measures. Tensions rose when police stopped customers from entering the office, leading to heated arguments. Authorities intervened to defuse the situation.

Cooperative Society director Krishna Shetty

"I pledged my gold for a Rs 1 lac loan and have been paying installments. Now I don’t know if I’ll ever get my gold back," said a distressed customer, Khateej, from Ajjindadka. Others voiced similar concerns, pointing out that this was the second robbery at the same cooperative, yet security protocols had not been improved.

"Why is the security still so weak?" demanded Hafeeza, another customer. "This is the second robbery here, and nothing has been done to improve safety."

Gold items, including chains, bracelets, and earrings, were stolen from the bank’s lockers, which had been used as collateral for loans. Suspicion is growing that the robbers were familiar with the bank’s operations and timing, suggesting insider knowledge.

The robbery follows a similar incident at a nearby cooperative, raising alarm over the safety of financial institutions in the region. Police are investigating whether the two incidents are connected.

MLC Ivan D’Souza visited the site and assured customers that the matter was being taken seriously. "The police are confident they’ll catch the culprits soon," D’Souza said.

While the stolen gold remains missing, customers are hopeful that the bank will reimburse their losses. "Even if the gold isn’t returned, we expect the bank to refund our money," said Ganesh Shetty, a customer.

Employees from the cooperative, including Vani L, have filed an FIR with Ullal Police.

Krishna Shetty K, the cooperative’s director, explained that the CCTV malfunction was due to a technical issue and defended the cooperative’s night-time security measures.

The robbery has raised serious concerns about the cooperative’s security, and investigations are ongoing. Authorities are also investigating a possible link to a recent robbery in Bolanthuru, near the Kerala border, as similarities between the two incidents emerge.