No need for round-the-clock manning of every ATM, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Tuesday set aside a Gauhati High Court order for round-the-clock manning of ATMs to ensure one customer entry at a time.

A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K Vinod Chandran took note of the submissions of solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for some banks, that it was not practical to deploy security guards round the clock at all ATMs.

"In Assam, we have around 4,000 ATMs. We cannot have one security guard at all the ATMs. The worldwide recognised system is to have CCTVs," he said.

Mehta said the apex court in December 2016 stayed the high court's direction, which could be made absolute.

He said the petitioner banks, including the State Bank of India, had no grievance in accepting the other directions issued by the high court in December 2013 concerning security protocols for proper functioning of ATMs.

The bench allowed the petition and set aside the direction issued by the high court which read, "Place security guards round the clock at all ATMs so that proper queues are enforced and to ensure that only one customer can enter for one ATM, at a time."  The high court took a suo motu cognisance on a news item published in December 2012 over an alleged ATM fraud in which a person was duped of Rs 35,000.

It issued notices to Reserve Bank of India, the bank concerned, aside from the Centre and the director general of police, Assam, to decide on the safeguards that could be provided to ATM customers to avoid such incidents.

The high court order took note of the DGP's affidavit filed in May 2013 suggesting an action plan to provide security to ATMs of all the banks in the state.

The high court accepted the suggested plan and directed the state authorities to ensure its implementation.