After looting arms, is looting banks the new attraction of miscreants in violence-hit Manipur?

Two banks - Axis Bank’s Churachandpur branch and the State Co-operative Bank’s Kangpokpi branch was robbed and vandalised

Back-to-back bank looting incidents in strife-torn Manipur is a matter of fresh concern raising several questions. After arms loot, is looting of banks, the new attraction of miscreants in Manipur? Will the banking operations in Manipur collapse at this rate? Dealing with heavily armed men is a different story, perhaps beyond the capability of the police, but has the Manipur police even failed to nab thieves and robbers?
Following the looting of close to Rs 1.29 crore from a branch of the axis bank in Churachandpur earlier this week, a branch of the State Co-operative Bank was found vandalized in Kangpokpi yesterday. While no cash was there in the bank, 6 computer sets and a printer were stolen from the branch.
Significantly, in both the cases, the one in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi, miscreants destroyed the hard disk of the CCTV indicating that the bank loots are a part of a well-orchestrated plan.
Besides, both the banks that have been looted were closed since May 3rd when violence broke out in the state and hence the exact date of the looting is not known.
This raises a big question, are the scores of bank branches, which are still shut, intact? What is the guarantee that such banks have not been looted too? Are the authorities trying to ascertain whether the cash and other items in such banks are intact? At least in Churachandpur, the OCs of police stations have been asked to inspect the closed bank branches in the districts.
In the case of the Manipur State Co-operative bank which was vandalized in Kangpokpi yesterday, the removal of cash from the vault and ATM in mid-May, prevented a bigger loss. However, the same was not the case with the Axis bank branch in Churanchandpur, from where Rs 1.29 cr cash and gold were looted by miscreants.
Are these two incidents, an indication of things to come? If yes, will the security around banks be increased? After all, its public money and property that’s being robbed. One will have to wait and watch.
Meanwhile, the local civil bodies of Kangpokpi District Headquarters have condemned the theft in the Manipur State Cooperative Bank Kangpokpi Branch.
Following the Bank Branch Deputy Manager’s complaint lodged at Kangpokpi Police Station, a case was registered and an investigation has already been initiated.
The bank was closed since May 4 because of the prevailing situation in the state.
Lalkholen Kipgen, Assistant Secretary of Kangpokpi Town Committee said that the theft incident in the MSCB Kangpokpi Branch is very unfortunate and the local bodies condemned such an incident in the strongest term.

Also Read : Manipur State Co-operative Bank at Kangpokpi looted

COMMENTS

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment *

Name *

Email *

Website

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment *

Name *

Email *

Website