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Committee set up to frame norms

The Karnataka government on Wednesday set a three-day deadline for  banks to deploy round-the-clock armed guards in all their ATM kiosks in the City to ensure customer safety following Tuesday’s brutal attack on a woman in a Corporation Bank ATM booth.

State Home Minister K J George told reporters here that the banks failing to meet the deadline would have to temporarily shut their ATM kiosks until they put in place the security measure. He, however, added that the government was not contemplating any punitive action.

There are an estimated 2,580 ATM kiosks across the state capital, of which, according to George, about 680 are currently unguarded. The ATM kiosks are being treated as an extension of branches of the banks concerned and the banks were responsible for ensuring the security of their customers, the minister said.

George was speaking to newsmen after a meeting with top police officers in the City during the day. He instructed City Police Commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar to take strict action as per law to ensure that the banks adhered to the three-day deadline to man ATMs 24X7. Apart from Auradkar, the meeting was also attended by state Director General and Inspector General of Police L R Pachuau.         

At present, security guards deployed at the ATMs are not armed with weapons, but carry lathis. Only at the ATMs located on the bank branch premises, the armed guards deployed for the branch double up as security guards for the ATMs.

The minister said that the issue of stationing security guards at ATM kiosks was not new as several meetings were held in the past in the wake of many instances of ATM robberies. “But all requests (to the banks) to station security guards at kiosks have fallen on deaf ears,” he said.

When asked about the state government’s competence to direct the banks to deploy security guards, the minister said that the Law and Order was a state subject and security of common man at ATM kiosks is at risk. “Our police are empowered in the context to enforce certain strict guidelines and we will do so,” he said.

George has also formed a committee led by Home Department principal secretary S K Pattanayak to frame a detailed set of security guidelines for the ATM kiosks. For this purpose, consultations will be held with the police, the bankers and customers. Sources said the guidelines are expected to be prepared by the end of Belgaum session. The government is thinking of either amending the Karnataka Police Act or a new law to give itself legal jurisdiction to enforce necessary security guidelines.

But ahead of such legislative measure, George is understood to have asked Pattanayak to look into potential legal issues involved in the enforcing security measures in the immediate context. The government may, if required, come out with an executive order to make armed security guards at ATM kiosks mandatory, the sources said. 

On his part, Auradkar has sent a proposal to the government, detailing some security measures for the ATMs. The proposals relate to four elements of security during transfer of money, security for the kiosks, measures to prevent tampering of the machine, and measures to prevent skimming of cards.

According to agencies, Corporation Bank said it would re-deploy armed guards at its ATMs within the next 10 days to provide security to customers using the facility.

“We have begun the process. Armed guards will be re-deployed at all our ATMs in the state, including Bangalore within 10 days,” a bank spokesperson said in Mangalore.

Admitting that armed guards were withdrawn from ATMs five years ago for various reasons, the spokesperson said after Tuesday’s incident, the bank decided to restore guards at all its kiosks.
Attacker not identified yet

* Though CCTV footage gave a clear image of the assailant, whose attack has left the woman victim partially paralysed in hospital, the City police are clueless about his identity even 24 hours after the chilling incident

*  Special police teams have been despatched to neighbouring states to track down the attacker, who is suspected to have fled Bangalore

*  Eight special teams have been formed to crack the case which has left Bangaloreans shell shocked

*  CCTV footage from the cameras installed at the traffic junction near the ATM kiosk where the attack took place are also being analysed

Attacker ’not in City,’ cops look for him elsewhere

Special teams of the City police have left for neighbouring states to track down the man who brutally attacked a woman inside an unguarded ATM kiosk of Corporation Bank just metres from the Ulsoorgate police station on Tuesday morning. The suspect is most likely to have fled Bangalore.

In all, eight special teams have been formed to solve the case which shocked the City. Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime), Pronab Mohanty, is leading the probe. Commissioner of Police, Raghavendra H Auradkar, insisted on Wednesday the case had been taken “seriously” and sleuths were already on the job.

He also stressed that the suspect intended to rob the woman and no personal enmity was involved.

Self-explanatory

The CCTV footage was self-explanatory. Police are also analysing the footage of the CCTV camera installed at the busy traffic junction for possible leads.

Auradkar defended his force, saying 28 of the 32 ATM-related crimes in the City in the present year had been “solved”. The crimes include thefts, robberies and botched attempts.

A senior officer investigating the case said the CCTV footage of the incident — the best piece of evidence to identify the culprit — had been sent to all police stations in the State. Besides, the help of police forces in the neighbouring states has been sought.

Police teams had left for Chennai, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and other places in search of the man, who is most likely to have fled Bangalore as CCTV footage was telecast by all regional television news channels on Tuesday evening, the officer said.

In the footage, the attacker is clearly seen taking away the mobile phone of the victim, Jyothi Uday, a 44-year-old section manager in-charge of cheque truncation with Corporation Bank, Service Branch, Mission Road.

Police say the suspect did that to prevent Jyothi from raising an alarm before he ran away. Sleuths are trying to trace the location of the mobile phone, so as to track down the attacker if he is still possessing the handset.

Did he have an accomplice?

Police are also investigating whether the attacker was all alone or did he an accomplice. A senior officer said an accomplice might have been waiting outside the ATM kiosk as the attacker went in.

The accomplice might have been guarding the kiosk even as the attacker went on the job.

Banks cannot ignore ATM security, police say

The City police on Wednesday submitted a detailed list of security measures to be taken by banks for foolproof ATM operations, right from transfer of money to preventing tampering of the machines.

Police want an armed security guard deployed round-the-clock at every ATM centre. Besides, security agencies should transfer the money only in convoys. Police have also proposed strict guidelines such as background verification of, and weapons training for, guards deployed by security agencies.

Last year too, police had put in place security norms for transfer of money to ATM centres by private security agencies after an armed gang looted Rs 1.87 crore from a Corporation Bank ATM centre in R T Nagar on May 14. Now, after Tuesday’s brutal attack on a woman inside an ATM kiosk of the same bank, police are not willing to take any more chances and want banks to fall in line.

Most security loopholes are found in the kiosks. To begin with, the rolling shutter should be locked to the doorframe so that it cannot be pulled down by anyone. A senior police officer said that had the simple measure been in place, the latest incident could have been averted.

Police also want compulsory installation of CCTV cameras outside the ATM centres, apart from the in-built camera in the machine. A burglar alarm should be installed in the kiosk too. All ATMs should be fixed to the ground, so that robbers cannot tow them away, as done in some recent incidents. Police say banks should also instal a software to prevent skimming of cards. In October of this year, two men killed a security guard inside an ATM centre and tried to break open the machine, but were caught red-handed by patrolling policemen.

Systemic flaw

A senior officer conceded that the recent spate in ATM-related crimes was a systemic flaw police had failed to fix as much of the problem was “beyond their jurisdiction”. In today’s age of increasing economic disparity in the society and the craze for easy money, an unguarded ATM kiosk was “tempting enough” and a high-security risk, especially after dusk, the officer pointed out.

But efforts by police to convince banks to deploy armed security guards at these kiosks round-the-clock have not yielded the desired results. Banks do not fall under the police jurisdiction; the most police can do is to issue them advisories, many of which have fallen on deaf ears so far. The City police even corresponded with the Reserve Bank of India but to no avail.

The officer said banks were “not concerned” about the security of the money as everything in the ATM operation — the kiosk, machine and money — would be insured and banks would not suffer any loss in any eventuality. He suggested that insurance companies look into the issue and make it a pre-condition for claims.

Auradkar said it was impossible for the understaffed police force to provide security at the ATM centres. Another officer insisted that banks alone are responsible for security of their customers at ATM centres, which are nothing but extension of bank premises.

Beyond our purview: RBI

The Reserve Bank of India  has said providing security at ATM kiosks was beyond its purview. “At ATMs, providing physical security is not the brief of the bank. The Indian Banks’ Association will have to come out with measures to improve security at the ATM kiosks,” an RBI spokesperson said, reports DHNS report from Mumbai.

Victim recovering after surgery

Jyothi Uday, the 44-year-old woman who was viciously attacked by a robber inside a Corporation Bank ATM kiosk in the City centre on Tuesday morning, has been operated upon at the BGS Global Hospitals. Doctors who attended to her said she was conscious and responding to treatment.

But the right side of her body has been paralysed, according to Dr N K Venkataramana, the chief neurosurgeon at the hospital. “She underwent major neurosurgical operation yesterday. The bone fragments inside the brain substance were removed,” he said. The brain coverings were repaired and the fractured bones set right. Besides, she underwent a plastic surgery for the reconstruction of the nose and facial injuries.

“She is in the Neurointensive Care Unit and being monitored very closely. Blood transfusion is being given and she is on medical management,” he added. Dr Venkataramana further said it was too early to ascertain if other complications were associated. Meanwhile, Corporation Bank has announced that it will bear complete medical expenses of Jyothi.

Commissioner of Police, Raghavendra H Auradkar visited the victim in the hospital on Wednesday morning. Auradkar, said the woman was still in a state of shock but recovering well. He said he spoke to her about the attack to get a fair perspective of the incident. He said it was prima facie a case of gain.

Home Minister K J George also visited the woman in the evening, after which he told reporters that while he condemned the savage attack, he appreciated her bravery to put up a valiant fight against the heavy odds. He said the government would stand by her family in the time of crisis. George said the victim was able to speak and recovering fast.

Minister for Women and Child Development, Umashree, also visited the hospital. She said her department would extend all possible help to the victim’s family.

Drawing money for kid’s b’day

Jyothi, who has a three-year-old daughter, is said to have gone to the ATM to withdraw money for her daughter’s birthday celebrations. The girl’s birthday is on November 22.

According to Jyothi’s husba­nd Uday, the three-year-old is now staying with relatives.

Guards no sure-fire solution, say busy bank officials

Tuesday’s gruesome attack on a woman in a Corporation Bank ATM centre near Town Hall has prompted the State government to enforce strict security measures, but what about banks themselves?

When Deccan Herald contacted authorities of some leading banks, they said they were “too busy” to comment on the issue. While the Home Minister, K J George, has said that 680 of the 2,580 ATM centres in the City are unguarded, bank officials say the “effectiveness” of security guards is “questionable”. Bank authorities insisted that security guards armed with lathis provide “only a psychological sense of security to customers, nothing more”.

H M Malli, a Vijaya Bank official, said, “Guards need not retaliate in case of trouble. It is only to make customers feel secure that we deploy men standing guard at the ATM centres.” At present, only guards at on-site ATM kiosks are armed, usually with a single barrel gun. More so, they are deployed for securing the bank, not the ATMs.

An official with Corporation Bank, whose only 12 out of 100 ATMs in the City are guarded, said security guards were “no better” as they could also be attacked.

“Even if there is an eventuality, armed guards will not be in a position to open fire as it might harm anyone. The weapon provided to them cannot target one person in particular,” he added. Only increased police patrolling could provide a solution, he maintained. S M Swathi, Executive Manager of the bank’s Bangalore circle, said security measures would be provided at all kiosks across the City shortly.

Security unviabile

Bank officials also mention the viability of deploying security guards round-the-clock. Many kiosks do not have much business and deploying armed guards would mean paying for three people, in eight-hour shifts each, an official pointed out. Further, the cost of firearms, their licence fee, training, etc all put together would make most ATM centres “economically unviable”, he added.

What’s more, another official said, security agencies often “fleece” bank for three shifts but deploy only two men on the job the whole day. The credibility of security guards and private security agencies is another issue. In many instances, guards themselves have gone rogue and robbed the ATM kiosks.

Nevertheless, banks are also guilty of a complete lack of maintenance and not enforcing appropriate security measures at ATM kiosks, in addition to security guards. While some ATM kiosks have installed controlled access system doors to ensure no one else other than the customer can get in, a reality check revealed that most such doors are dysfunctional.

A female official of the Punjab National Bank said, “Controlled access system will certainly give better security as another person cannot get in while one is making a transaction.”

She conceded that most off-site ATM centres are not under surveillance by banks. Their operations are outsourced and banks do not take up the responsibility. “Until an incident of this sort happens, no one even keeps a track of the footage recorded in the CCTV cameras,” she said.

Govt plans to set up e-tolling on highways

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Oscar Fernandes on Wednesday announced plans to introduce electronic tolling (e-tolling) at toll gates along highways which will considerably reduce the long time being spent by motorists to pay the toll charges.

“We are stepping into electronic tolling which sees to it that we don’t have to spend time at the toll gate for hours together,” Fernandes told delegates after inaugurating the construction equipment and technology exhibition EXCON 2013, adding, “We have got the latest technology wherein through a mobile phone you can pay your toll... It is under trial... As you approach the tolling station from around a kilometer away, you will be able to establish contact with the gate, which will become open for you.”

He added that the project is under testing and is likely to be implemented within the next three months.

Talking about the Bangalore International Airport expressway, Fernandes said, “It should be completed by January 26 next year,” adding that his ministry has planned to fast-track few expressway projects for the benefit of industries.

“We have to complete the projects that we were scheduled to finish. The Mumbai-Vadodara Expressway is going to be speeded up, the Eastern and Western peripheral expressways... we are going to take up the Delhi-Jaipur expressway as well,” Fernandes said, adding that they will provide enough opportunity for industries to grow alongside.

Stating that public-private-partnership (PPP) projects are long-term, as they must maintain and recover the money spent on them, he said, “The Government of India has taken a decision that if any concessioner wants to exit after the completion of the project, we will be permitting that, with the consent of the financier that is the bank and the NHAI.”

He said, “I assure you that I will take the initiative, bring Members of Parliament together and take up the matter with the Karnataka CM.”