Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Dec 18: Karnataka has topped the list of bank robberies in South India with a whopping number of 179 since 2013.
The data tabled by the ministry of finance in Lok Sabha, shows Andhra Pradesh has recorded 154 bank robberies while Tamil Nadu has 130. Even Telangana, has recorded 27 bank thefts since its formation.
In 2017-18 and 2018-19, while South Indian states showed a decline in number of bank robberies, the number increased in Karnataka.
Countrywide, Bihar with 434 bank robberies has emerged first followed by West Bengal with 371.
However, Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla highlights that there is no specific data on ATM thefts and the data provided by RBI on overall bank robberies includes ATM thefts.
The minister also put to rest speculations that 2,500 ATMs would be closed and added that government has not planned such a move.