Srinagar/May 06: Cash transactions at about 45 branches of different banks have been stopped temporarily in twin district of Shopian and Pulwama in the wake of sprung in gunmen targeting banks and killing of five policemen and two bank employees during the last over two weeks in south Kashmir. Meanwhile Jammu & Kashmir Bank in a statement issued on Saturday evening denied media reports about closure of bank branches in restive areas of South Kashmir
Saturday afternoon the reports said that the decision to close down operations in 45 banks in restive areas of South Kashmir was taken by the bank authorities following an advisory issued by security forces asking them to stop cash transactions in Pulwama and Shopian apprehending more such attacks.
A senior J&K bank official said that cash transaction services have been shifted from 30 bank branches to other branches in adjoining areas in the twin districts as a precautionary measure. “All other banking operations, including ATM services, would continue in original places,” he said.
“We were informed that there are apprehensions that more attacks could happen on bank branches in some vulnerable areas in Pulwama and Shopian. So we were asked to shift cash transactions from these bank branches to other adjoining branches,” he said.
However, he said it was a temporary arrangement and cash transactions will start in these branches shortly after effective measures are put in place to safeguard the employees, customers and assets of the bank.
The bank robberies have witnessed an increase during the last four months as over a dozen banks have been looted in south Kashmir by the gunmen.
Three banks, including two Ellaquai Dehati Bank branches and J&K Bank branch, were looted in south Kashmir within a span of 24 hours from May 2 and unidentified gunmen managed to decamp with over 7 lakh cash.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir police has identified militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) involved in two bank robbery in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
On April 28, security forces foiled an attempt by masked men to rob a bank branch near Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag office. One of the accused was arrested while the other managed to escape. One CRPF personnel was also injured in the incident.
A cash van of J&K Bank was also attacked by the militants of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) in which five policemen and two bank employees were killed in Kulgam district.
Meanwhile the management of Jammu and Kashmir Bank Saturday evening denied media reports about closure of some of its branches in south Kashmir’s Pulwama and Shopian districts.
Reacting to media reports that 40 branches of the J&K Bank and Ellaquai Dehati Bank had been closed following threats,Sajad Bazaz, in-charge corporate communications of J&K Bank said: “We deny such reports. No branch has been closed in any district including Shopian and Pulwama.”
Bazaz said that there was a security advisory that “we should temporarily shift cash transactions from branches operating in some vulnerable areas. Only cash transactions of such branches are being carried out at other branches at the moment.”
Expressing hope, the communication in-charge said “we are resuming cash transactions at these branches within the coming seven days”.
Earlier reports had said these branches had been temporarily closed after an advisory from the forces.
In the last few days, unknown gunmen have forced entry into a few rural branches and looted money in lakhs.
