Manipur: Another Bank Looted In Kangpokpi, Computers, Other Items Worth Rs 1 Crore Missing

The bank was closed since May 4 and the theft was detected when officials went to open the branch three days back.

Personnel of Assam Rifles keep a watch amid ongoing ethnic clashes in the state, at Phaileng village in Senapati district. ( Image Source :PTI )

New Delhi: Some unidentified miscreants targeted a bank in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district and looted computers and other electronic items worth nearly Rs 1 crore, news agency PTI reported. This comes just days after cash and ornaments worth over Rs 2.25 crore were found missing from an Axis Bank branch in Churachandpur.

According to the report, Manipur State Cooperative Bank’s Kangpokpi branch, located north of Imphal Valley, was closed since May 4 since the ethnic clashes broke out, police said, and added that the theft was detected when the bank officials went to open the branch three days back. An FIR has been registered at Kangpokpi police station.

 "Though the cash vault was found broken, bank officials had removed all the money from it and the ATM located on the bank premises in mid-May as per the instructions of the head office," PTI quoted a police official as saying.

At least six computers, a printer and other electronic items were found to be missing, the official said.

Earlier on July 10, cash and ornaments worth Rs 2.25 crore were found to be missing from a branch of Axis Bank in Churchandpur.

According to the PTI report, bank officials said they came to know about the incident when the branch reopened after remaining closed for more than two months since May 3.

According to police, the miscreants drilled a hole from the rear side of the bank and entered the branch.

"Rs 1.25-crore cash was looted along with gold ornaments estimated to be valued at over Rs 1 crore in addition to a computer," an official told PTI.

It is to be noted that over 150 people have lost their lives and over 3,000 were injured since ethnic violence broke out on May 3 when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status.