Vadodara: Days after allegations surfaced that gold ornaments weighing about 35 tolas had gone missing from a locker at The Cosmos Co-operative Bank Ltd. on Waghodia Road, another major locker theft claim has emerged in the city. An elderly couple residing on Warasia Ring Road has alleged that 62 tolas of gold ornaments worth over ₹1 crore have disappeared from their locker at the State Bank of India (SBI) branch on Warasia Ring Road.

Locker Opened After Four Years

According to the senior citizen couple, they have maintained a savings account and a locker at the SBI branch for nearly 30 years. The couple stated that they had stored gold ornaments belonging to family members in the locker.

As there had been no auspicious occasion in the family for the past four years, the locker had not been operated during this period. When they recently decided to access the locker, they were unable to locate the key at home and informed the bank manager about two months ago.

The manager reportedly advised them to break open the locker and have a new key issued, informing them that ₹6,490 would be charged for the procedure. After paying the amount, the couple was called to the bank on December 22, 2025. In their presence, the locker was drilled open in the locker room.

However, upon opening the locker, they allegedly found that all the gold ornaments kept inside were missing.

Jewellery Worth Over ₹1 Crore Missing

The couple has claimed that 62 tolas of gold jewellery were stored in the locker, with a current market value exceeding ₹1 crore.

They further alleged that when they questioned the bank manager regarding the missing ornaments, they did not receive a satisfactory response.

The couple pointed out that locker operations require two keys, one held by the customer and the other by the bank. “If one key remains with the bank, how did the theft occur?” they questioned, demanding that CCTV footage be examined and a forensic investigation conducted.

List of Allegedly Missing Items

The couple claims that the locker contained eight large bangles, four pendants, three chains, one mangalsutra, eight single earrings, four pairs of earrings, two sets of gold bracelets (four pieces in total), ladies’ bracelets, two men’s gold VTs, three ladies’ rings, and gold bars (lagdi) weighing 7 grams, 5 grams, and 1 gram.

Earlier Incidents Raise Concerns

Incidents of jewellery allegedly going missing from bank lockers in the city are not new.

In August 2019, 19.50 tolas of jewellery were reported missing from the locker of a resident of Tarsali Somnath Nagar, following which a police complaint was registered at Makarpura police station.

In another case, it was alleged that 50 tolas of jewellery went missing from the SBI branch in Lalbaug on February 17, 2022.

Last week, around 35 tolas of gold ornaments were reportedly found missing from a locker at The Cosmos Co-operative Bank Ltd. on Waghodia Road.

Allegations of Negligence

The couple has accused the bank of serious negligence and deficiency in service, despite the regular payment of locker rent. “A bank functions on the trust of its customers, but due to shortcomings and negligence, we have suffered heavy financial loss,” the couple stated, alleging that some bank employees may have been involved in the disappearance of the ornaments. They have demanded a thorough investigation into the matter. DeshGujarat