Kanpur Woman Finds Rs 50 Lakh Jewellery Missing From 20-Year-Old Bank Locker

The couple had deposited gold and silver jewellery worth Rs 50 lakh in the locker. Over the years, the Aroras periodically visited the bank and checked on their valuables.

After her husband died, Rashmi Arora moved from Swaroop Nagar in Kanpur to Lucknow to live with her daughter and son-in-law. Due to the distance, she stopped visiting the bank, believing that her valuables remained secure in the locker.

Four months ago, Arora visited the bank along with her younger daughter. She was informed that the State Bank of Travancore no longer existed as a separate entity and had been merged with the State Bank of India (SBI). She was also told that there was no locker under her name at SBI.

Bewildered by the response, Arora returned to the bank branch with all relevant documents proving her account and locker allotment. The Branch Manager then told her that the locker rent was being automatically deducted from her account, resulting in a zero balance.

On July 21, Arora transferred money into her account to reactivate it. However, she forgot to bring the locker key with her.

She returned to the bank on July 27 and gained access to locker number 23. What she found inside left her in shock—the locker was empty.

Arora subsequently lodged a police complaint, accusing the bank management and staff of conspiring to misappropriate her jewellery.

A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against the branch manager and concerned staff members. Police have launched an investigation into the alleged disappearance of the jewellery and are examining the records connected to the locker.

"We have registered a case and are interrogating the concerned bank employees. We are also checking CCTV records," Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Kanpur Atul Srivastava said.

The police are investigating locker records, bank documents and the role of employees in the case. The investigation will determine how the jewellery allegedly went missing from locker number 23 and whether any bank employees were involved.