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Thieves loot ₹57 lakh from Nepal flood-swept safe: ‘They broke it open, removed cash’
The police said local people who found the safe broke it open and removed cash from inside.
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A safe carrying cash that was swept away by floods in Nepal's Rasuwa district was found along the banks of the Trishuli River in neighbouring Dhading, after which police detained 29 people and recovered more than 92 lakh NR (57.9 lakhs in INR) from their possession, according to a police press release.
The District Police Office, Dhading, said the safe was found at Belkhola in Galchhi Rural Municipality-4, Dhading, after it was carried downstream by the floodwaters.
According to the police press release, the safe was found along the bank of the Trishuli River. The police said local people who found the safe broke it open and removed cash from inside.
Deep Dive
Broke open safe, cash from inside
"Local people broke open the safe and took away an unknown amount of cash from inside it for themselves," the police said in the press release.
The matter was reported to police, following which police personnel were immediately deployed to the area and began an investigation.
The police said that during the preliminary investigation, 29 people were taken into custody and searched.
A total of 92.68 lakh Nepalese rupee in cash was recovered from those detained, according to the District Police Office, Dhading.
The police described the cash as having been recovered from the possession of the people taken into custody during the investigation.
The authorities are now investigating where the recovered cash came from and whether more people were involved in the incident.
"Further investigation is underway into the source of the cash and other possible individuals who may have been involved," the police said.
The police also said that further investigation was being carried out into both the recovered cash and the people who had been detained.
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14 names released
The press release listed the names of 14 of the people taken into custody.
Those named include Pawan Paudel, 27; Bir B. Rana Magar, 41; Binod Giri, 25; Navaraj Bhetuwal, 33; Purna Lal Shrestha, 40; Bishnumani Adhikari, 31; Krishna Magar, 36; Shiv B. Rana Magar, 49; Yuvraj Adhikari, 46; Sushant Shrestha, 47; Suchim B. Rana Magar, 46; Sabin Shrestha, 24; Prem B. Rana Magar, 43; and Anil Bhetuwal, 19.
The police said most of those named are residents of Mastar in Galchhi Rural Municipality-4, while Sushant Shrestha is listed as a resident of Adamghat-6.
The incident involves a safe that was apparently carried away by floodwaters from Rasuwa's Bhotekoshi area before being found farther downstream in Dhading.
Police are also looking into the source of the money inside the safe, as well as the circumstances surrounding the safe being carried away by the floods and subsequently opened.
The District Police Office said the investigation remains ongoing and that other people suspected of having links to the incident could also be investigated as authorities establish what happened to the cash after the safe was found.
The police release says 29 people were detained, although only 14 names are included in the portion of the release available here.
