Bank's 'hats-off' insistence angers Sikh

DONNA WALSH/Waikato Times

UNFAIR TARGET: Loyal ANZ Bank customer Sikh Ajit Singh Sagoo is furious after being told he is no longer allowed to wear his cap inside the bank.

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A Sikh man feels humiliated and angry about not being allowed to wear a cap inside his Frankton bank anymore.

Hamilton man Ajit Singh Sagoo, an ANZ Bank customer for more than 30 years, was gobsmacked when a teller at ANZ's Frankton branch said he could not wear the hat while he made a deposit yesterday.

ANZ's stance comes after four bank robberies in the Waikato in the past month, the latest at ANZ's Huntly branch.

Mr Sagoo said he normally wore a turban but, out of convenience, wears a hat occasionally while attending to day-to-day errands.

"The lady wanted me to stand to the side with my head uncovered which is against my belief," he said.

Mr Sagoo, who owns the Ulster St Superette and Ulster Lodge Motel, said he had previously worn his cap in the bank without fuss.

"Whenever I go into the bank I take the hat up and put it back on again," he said.

The formality was to show bank staff that he was not hiding anything under the hat.

"I told her I can show it to her again but she insisted that I keep it off and stand to the side. I said `this is not on, I am not going to do it, it's against my belief and undermining my right'."

Mr Sagoo's bank manager at the ANZ Te Rapa branch backed his stance.

However, an ANZ Bank spokesperson said that while the bank regretted the incident and apologised to Mr Sagoo, it would not back down. "Due to the increased number of bank robberies, branches have been asked to be vigilant in consistently asking all customers to remove their headgear."

This included even known customers because of the problem of allowing some customers to wear headgear while asking others to remove it.

Staff would get in touch with Mr Sagoo to reiterate its security policy, which allows turbans to be worn but not caps, hoodies, crash helmets or sunglasses.