Shock as rats nibble on bank notes valued at Rs1.24m inside ATM

Cash machine lay unrepaired for 3 weeks after developing technical problems

Asum of almost Rs1.24 million (Dh66,734) was found in tatters within an ATM in the east Indian state of Assam and the culprits are reportedly a colony of rats which are believed to have nibbled away at the currency notes.

The incident came to light at a State Bank of India (SBI) ATM in Laipuli area, Tinsukia town, last week.

The ATM had developed some technical problems and had been out of service for three weeks.

When technicians finally came around to repair it last Thursday, they found shredded notes of different denominations, including high-value Rs2,000 and Rs500 notes, inside.

Following a formal complaint by the bank, police launched an investigation and found rats in the ATM.

Pointing out that currency notes worth Rs1.71 million in the ATM had untouched, they ruled out foul play yesterday and placed blame squarely on the colony of rats. The police asked the bank to take suitable measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

An SBI spokesperson said an internal inquiry into the incident has been instituted. Among other things, it will seek to establish how the ATM, managed by a Guwahati-based third-party vendor, lay unrepaired for over three weeks.

The inquiry will also look into how the cash, usually kept in a sealed cabinet, was exposed to rats, the spokesperson said.