Stolen money Rs 10.78 lacs fished out of river in Sikkim

GANGTOK, June 6, 2013

In a stunning development, the iron safe box with Rs. 10.78 lakhs stolen on June 3 night from a hardware shop in Singtam town was fished out from the nearby Ranikhola by police on June 5.

A local youth on June 5 morning at around 10 am spotted an iron box near the river and informed the Singtam police station.

The police recovered the box which was claimed as his safe box by the hardware shop owner, Sandeep Kumar Agarwal. The safe could not be opened as it had suffered some internal damages possibly when the unknown thieves tried to force it open. The box was later forced open in the nearby iron workshop.

Cash amounting to Rs. 10.78 lakhs was recovered intact from the box though the notes were drenched with muddy water. Singtam police have taken the cash and safe box in its custody and have registered a burglary case against unknown persons. It seems the burglar could not open the heavy iron box and dumped it in the river, said Singtam police station in-charge Chundi Choppel.

(Courtesy: Sikkim Express)