A policeman talks to employees of the bank in Rohtas after robbery. Picture by Sanjay Choudhary

Patna, March 17: The state government is contemplating to raise a special police force to provide security to the nationalised banks following spurt in robbery and dacoity in the financial institutions over the past few months.

“Security in banks has become a cause of concern for the police. We are mulling over the proposal to create a separate force to provide adequate security to banks,” said a senior home department official.

He said the security arrangements in banks were reviewed at a meeting of the state-level security committee convened by regional director of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) G. Mahalingam in Patna on Monday. The participants expressed concern over the rise in bank robbery and dacoity in the past six months.

Home secretary Amir Subhani chaired the meeting. The other participants included top government officials as well as officials of the RBI and other banks. Additional director-general of police (law and order) P.N. Rai was also present. Later, some RBI officers called on director-general of police (DGP) Neel Mani and apprised him of their concern over security in banks.

The officers attending the meeting felt the need of a specially trained force to ensure foolproof security to the banks, which, of late, have become soft targets of criminals. The special police force would be raised on the pattern of Bihar Military Police (BMP) or Special Auxiliary Police (SAP).

Mani said the RBI officials have sought about 2,000 police personnel to guard banks across the state. “The police headquarters will send a formal proposal to the state government for raising a special police force for providing security to banks after getting formal requisition letter from the RBI,” he said.

“It is too early to make any comment on the proposal at this stage,” the DGP said, adding that the police headquarters would extend all possible support to the banks on the security front.

Mani today directed the criminal investigation department (CID) to send a police team to Rohtas to assist the district police in investigation into the loot of Rs 62 lakh from Nokha branch of Bank of Baroda on Tuesday. “The police have made significant breakthrough in the case,” he said.

The criminals had looted Rs 62.19 lakh from the bank. Sources said a Jharkhand-based gang was involved in the daylight robbery.

A CID team led by deputy superintendent of police Jai Ram Singh has been asked to camp at Nokha and gather substantial evidence against the criminals involved in the incident.

The statistics available at the crime record bureau said two incidents of bank dacoity were reported this year.

In 2010, altogether two incidents of dacoity and two robberies in banks were reported.

In 2009, seven incidents of dacoity and nine of robbery were recorded in the state.