Shut over 2 months, Manipur bank finds Rs 1 crore cash stolen

Cash, amounting to at least Rs 1 crore, was reportedly stolen from an Axis Bank branch in Manipur's Churachandpur district, closed since May 4 over ethnic violence in the state, as it reopened on Monday and the burglary was detected, police said

A police official in Imphal said that it was reported in a section of the media that there was a robbery at Axis Bank’s Churachandpur branch.

Preliminary reports revealed that it was not a robbery but a burglary as the bank branch was closed since May 4, after the ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, and it was opened on Monday.

“It was found that after breaking the ventilator of the bathroom, some suspects entered the strongroom of the bank through the bathroom and made a hole on the wall of the strong room. Proper investigation will be conducted after the arrival of the Manager of the bank with the keys of the strong room,” the official told the media.

He said that during the past 24 hours, state police and cCentral forces conducted search operation in the vulnerable and fringe areas of both valley and hill districts and a total of 10 illegal bunkers, set up by the militants and miscreants, were destroyed.

Since late Sunday evening, firing between armed groups were reported at Dampi range, Khoijumantabi, Langza, K. Geljang, K. Songnung, Bethel, Apunlok, Kangchup foothills, and Koutruk village areas. No casualty was reported in any of the shootouts.

Firing between armed groups also took place in the Singda, Kadangband and Gelzang areas. The dead body of one person with bullet injuries was found in the Geljang hill range along with one MI rifle.