{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Over ₹1.07 Crore Worth of Gold Stolen from Central Bank Locker in Akola, Daily Wage Cleaner Booked",
  "summary": "Gold ornaments weighing 715.044 grams and valued at over ₹1.07 crore have disappeared from the Central Bank of India branch in Akola, Maharashtra. Police have booked 29-year-old contract sanitation worker Vaibhav Dhanraj Kolhe in connection with the crime.",
  "content": "A massive financial fraud and theft involving high-value gold jewelry has come to light at a public sector bank branch in Akola, Maharashtra. Gold ornaments worth ₹1,07,25,660 and weighing approximately 715.044 grams have mysteriously vanished from the safe locker of the Central Bank of India branch located on Mahatma Gandhi Road. The sudden disappearance of such a substantial quantity of precious metal from a secured bank vault has sent shockwaves through the banking sector and triggered serious concerns regarding internal vault security and customer trust.\n\nSanitation Worker Named in Criminal Complaint\nFollowing the discovery of the missing valuables, the City Kotwali Police Station launched a formal criminal investigation. Authorities have registered a case against 29-year-old Vaibhav Dhanraj Kolhe, a resident of Borgaon Khurd in Akola district, who was employed at the branch as a daily-wage sanitation worker. According to official details released by the police, 52-year-old Pankaj Kumar Kamala Prasad Srivastava, who serves as the Regional Head of Central Bank of India, held the administrative authority to hire contractual cleaning personnel for the branch and had recruited Kolhe for daily maintenance work.\n\nIrregularities Discovered During Demand Loan Audit\nThe fraudulent scheme was uncovered during an internal audit of bank transactions conducted between August 28 and August 29, 2026. Bank officials reviewing operational records noticed major discrepancies in transactions associated with demand loan accounts. Subsequent physical verification of the gold collateral pledged against loans and stored inside the branch locker confirmed that gold ornaments weighing 715.044 grams were absent. Preliminary findings suggest that the culprit manipulated loan-related documentation and procedures to surreptitiously remove the pledged jewelry from the vault.\n\nLapses in Internal Vault Security Under Scrutiny\nLaw enforcement officials are investigating how a temporary daily-wage cleaner gained access to the bank's restricted locker area. Police are examining physical access logs, surveillance records, and internal protocols to determine how the gold was removed, where the stolen property has been hidden, and whether other bank employees or external accomplices were involved in the crime. The incident has raised critical questions about the adequacy of security measures inside nationalized bank branches, particularly regarding key custody and vault access controls.\n\nSimilar Bank Vault Crimes Reported in Other States\nThis incident in Maharashtra underscores a troubling trend of security breaches involving gold stored in bank lockers. Earlier, a similar high-value theft was recorded in Jharkhand at the Kabir Memorial branch of Canara Bank in Jamshedpur. In that case, gold jewelry pledged under gold loan schemes valued at ₹1,10,48,000 disappeared from the bank premises, leading to an official police complaint and widespread concern among account holders. The repeated occurrence of such insider breaches poses a challenge for financial institutions aiming to safeguard customer assets.\n\nWhat this means for you\nThis gold theft incident from a bank locker has sparked significant security concerns among bank depositors and borrowers who pledge gold assets.\n\n• Across India: Public sector banks are expected to tighten locker security protocols and access controls nationwide. Customers may need to verify their locker inventory and ensure updated documentation for pledged items.\n• In Maharashtra: Background verification and access rules for contractual and daily-wage employees across bank branches will likely be stringently revised. Financial institutions may restrict temporary staff from entering high-security vault zones.\n• In Akola: Account holders at the Central Bank of India's MG Road branch may visit the branch to verify the safety of their pledged assets. Operational services at this specific branch could face temporary delays during the ongoing investigation.\n• For Gold Loan Borrowers: Customers pledging jewelry for demand or gold loans must securely preserve all official pledge receipts and weight certificates. These documents serve as vital proof should any discrepancies or loss claims arise with bank management.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. Which Central Bank branch in Akola reported the gold theft?\nThe incident occurred at the Central Bank of India branch located on Mahatma Gandhi Road in Akola.\n\n2. What is the total value and weight of the missing gold jewelry?\nThe total value of the missing gold ornaments is ₹1,07,25,660, with a total weight of approximately 715.044 grams.\n\n3. Who has been named in the police complaint for this theft?\nPolice have registered a criminal case against 29-year-old Vaibhav Dhanraj Kolhe, a daily-wage sanitation worker at the bank.\n\n4. How was the gold fraud detected at the bank branch?\nThe fraud was detected during an internal review of demand loan transactions conducted between August 28 and August 29, 2026.\n\n5. Who appointed the accused sanitation worker at the branch?\nPankaj Kumar Kamala Prasad Srivastava, the 52-year-old Regional Head of Central Bank of India, appointed him under his administrative hiring authority.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/maharashtra/maharashtra-ke-akola-men-central-bank-se-1-07-karora-rupaye-ke-gahane-chori-dainika-saphaikarmi-para-laga-dhokhadhari-ka-aropa-27205",
  "category": "Maharashtra",
  "publishedAt": "2026-09-03",
  "tags": [
    "Central Bank of India",
    "Akola Gold Theft",
    "Bank Locker Crime",
    "Akola Police",
    "Bank Vault Security"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}