AT Photo
Imphal, May 3: In a sign of increasing lawlessness, five armed men looted a branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) situated at Salbung in Tuibong Sub Division, Churachandpur district of Manipur. The incident occurred in broad daylight on Thursday around 2 pm.
According to the report filed by the Branch Manager to the Police, five armed men arrived on motorcycles, concealing their identities with face masks. One individual, wearing a helmet, escaped with fifteen lakh rupees in cash.
Pointing their pistols, they swiftly emptied the cash counter, taking money belonging to the branch as well as portions belonging to customers who came for withdrawals and deposits.
In an attempt to scare the staff, the armed men fired a bullet towards the Branch Manager's Cabin and another bullet outside the premises. The bank staff recovered a bullet at Counter No. 3, while the looting was said to have occurred at Counter No. 2.
Most banks, except for a few, have inadequate security arrangements, according to sources. The K Salbung Branch, which was inaugurated on October 5, 2022, is a newly established branch inaugurated by local MLA Paolienlal Haokip. This is the third instance of banks being looted in Churachandpur district since last year, with the other two instances being the Axis Bank branch and the Manipur Hills and Backwards Development Cooperative Limited branch, both looted in 2023.
