Patna, June 7: The city police have decided to step up vigilance near banks and automated teller machines (ATMs) booths in the state capital.

A special police team would patrol areas around banks and watch out for suspicious activities.

The operation would be launched on Wednesday in Kadamkuan, Gandhi Maidan and Kotwali areas, said superintendent of police (city) Shivdeep Lande.

Earlier, The Telegraph had reported that a special team of 12 personnel would be formed to strengthen security in banks. A letter from the police office has been sent to different senior officers and deputy superintendents of police in this regard, according to the guidelines laid down by Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Sources said that the team, while on the move, would also click pictures of the makeshift stalls near the banks.

“The team will move around the banks and look for suspicious people. If the police find someone’s activities suspicious, he/she will be detained immediately and his/her background will be checked. Bank-related crimes can be controlled to a great deal this way,” the officer said.

“There are many small shops selling tea and other edibles near the banks. These stalls attract a lot of crowd. The police will click their photographs to keep a record of the stall owners,” another police officer said.

Recently, four members of a Katihar-based gang were nabbed. The gang, on two different occasions, robbed two couples who were on their way home after withdrawing money from banks.

“It is a fact that in most bank-related crimes, a bank employee is involved. But police investigations generally don’t concentrate on this aspect. The stalls near the banks are often a haven for informers of criminals. These people move around the banks and provide information about people coming out after withdrawing cash,” an officer said.

According to RBI norms, all banks need to have closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and security is a collective responsibility of the police as well the bank.

“Here, in most banks, the CCTV cameras don’t work. There are no security check registers at the banks. Also, according to RBI norms, cash transaction area of the bank should have police presence and main gates of banks should have double chains for security. None of these norms are followed. The police will talk to the banks with regard to the norms and ask them about the difficulties in implementing them,” the officer added.