Dimapur, October 29 (MExN): Armed men numbering around three robbed approximately Rs. 80 lakhs in broad daylight in Kohima on Friday, October 29. The looted cash belonged to the Chedema branch of the State Bank of India. According to Kohima police, the robbery occurred at around 11:30 am today at Seikhazou along the Phek road, some few kilometers away from SBI’s Chedema branch office. Police was informed of the incident only at around 1:30 pm, it is reported.
Kohima police said that two employees of the Chedema branch were transporting the cash to the SBI main branch in Kohima, located near the Deputy Commissioner’s office. En route, their vehicle was waylaid at the Seikhazou areas by three armed men brandishing assault rifles and pistols. The robbers commandeered the vehicle to a location in Naga Bazaar. The robbers then blindfolded and tied up the employees and escaped with the money.
No armed police personnel were escorting the bank vehicle when the robbery took place, Kohima police said, as is the norm when transporting large amounts of bank money. Queried on the absence of security guards, Superintendent of Police of Kohima R. Chakhesang replied that the police was not informed by the bank’s officials about the movement of the cash.
According to bank norms, a small branch office is not supposed to keep cash exceeding Rs. 10 lakhs, the SP also averred. Hence, the Chedema branch was transferring the surplus cash to the SBI’s main office in Kohima. No leads or suspects to trace the robbers have been established so far but all efforts are on, Chakhesang added.
