A number of banks and ATMs, which have been flush with money since the demonetisation of 1,000 and 500 rupee banknotes on November 9, have been hit by a string of burglaries.
A look at some of the more high-profile cases:
Ludhiana, Punjab: A day after the Rs 500/1000 notes were scrapped, nine employees of a security agency went missing with Rs 3.92 crore worth of old notes from various ATMs.
Balaghat district, Madhya Pradesh: A minor boy set ablaze the CCTV equipment of Punjab National Bank at Waraseoni in Balaghat district on November 23 after a failed attempt to rob the bank the previous night . Police recovered two Rs 500 notes and few ATM cards from his possession. The minor had burnt the equipment to wipe out evidence against him.
Bengaluru, Karnataka: The driver at a private logistics firm made away with a van carrying Rs 1.37 crore on November 23. The vehicle and Rs 45 lakh have been recovered, but the accused is still at large.
Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh: A State Bank of India ATM was robbed of Rs 10 lakh in new notes on November 12 in Armapore area. Six bank employees and security personnel were taken into custody.
{{/usCountry}}Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh: A State Bank of India ATM was robbed of Rs 10 lakh in new notes on November 12 in Armapore area. Six bank employees and security personnel were taken into custody.
{{/usCountry}}Rishikesh, Uttarakhand: In a bizarre exchange of sorts, thieves broke into a two-wheeler showroom on the night of November 20 and took cash worth over Rs 5 lakh. In its place, they left wads of demonetized Rs 500 and 1,000 notes amounting to nearly Rs 1.5 lakh.
Sonepat, Haryana: Burglars stole Rs 1.22 crore in old currency from the Oriental Bank of Commerce on November 23. In a separate case, Rs 81.46 lakh of invalid banknotes were taken from a Punjab National Bank branch in Rewari on November 19.
Tinsukia district, Assam: One person was killed and two others sustained injuries when suspected militants attacked a cash van belonging to a tea garden on November 16.
Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir: On November 22, the state-run Jammu and Kashmir bank was robbed of Rs 35 lakh. Suspected militants also robbed a bank in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on November 21 and left with Rs 13 lakh in cash.