Thieves broke open a chest at a bank in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur and stole gold worth Rs 1 crore. They entered the bank's vault through a 10-feet-long tunnel, the police said today.
They dug the four-feet-wide tunnel from an empty plot adjacent to the State Bank of India's Bhanuti branch, the police said.
Though the thieves managed to open the gold chest, they could not pry open the cash box, which had Rs 32 lakh, police officer Vijay Dhull said.
Bank officials took hours to provide an estimate of the stolen gold. They said it weighed over 1.8 kg and was worth about Rs 1 crore, Mr Dhull added.
"It could be an insider's job who executed the crime with the help of expert criminals. We have found some leads, including fingerprints from the strong-room, which might help crack the heist," Mr Dhull told PTI.
The police suspect the thieves must have observed the area and got familiar with the construction and architecture of the bank, including the vault area.
Bank officials discovered the robbery this morning, police officer BP Jogdand said.
Bank officials found the tunnel through which the thieves came to the vault, the police officer said.
Senior police officials, forensic experts and a dog squad reached the bank and soon launched a probe. Several police teams headed by senior officials have been formed, Mr Jogdand said.
Bank manager Neeraj Rai told the police that the gold belonged to 29 people who had taken loans against it.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
UP Cops Arrest Man Who Broke Into Homes To Hit Sleeping Women On Head UP Hospital Fire That Killed 11 Babies Accidental, Finds Panel: Sources Human Rights Body Seeks Report Within A Week As UP Fire Kills 10 Infants AR Rahman, Wife Saira Announce Separation After 29 Years Of Marriage Ukraine Hits Russia With Long-Range US Missile After Biden's Approval Air India Flight From Paris Diverted To Jaipur, Fliers Sent To Delhi On Bus BSF Seizes Rs 4.3 Crore Worth Gold Biscuits Near Indo-Bangladesh Border Key Seats To Watch In Jharkhand Assembly Elections Netanyahu Makes Rare Gaza Visit, Says "Hamas Will Never Rule Again" Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.