A bizarre incident in Assam has caught at the attention of Twitter and left many shocked. According to several reports, a State Bank of India (SBI) branch ATM in Assam's Tinsukia district bore the wrath of rodents that left currency notes worth Rs. 12 lakh (about R25 million) completely destroyed.
Pictures of the shredded notes inside the ATM have left Twitter stunned. While many expressed their shock over the incident, several others tried to make sense of the weird incident.
Following a technical failure, the SBI ATM in Laipuli area – still containing cash – had been out of order since May 20, reports Indian Express. A day before, a private security firm had deposited Rs. 500 and Rs. 2,000 notes amounting Rs. 29.48 lakh, reports The Hindu.
On June 11, when technicians arrived to fix the ATM, they found currency notes of Rs. 2,000 and Rs. 500 torn to pieces. The overall cash destroyed by the rats amounted to Rs. 12,38,000, reports the newspaper. Undamaged currency notes amounting to Rs. 17.10 lakh (about R34 million) were recovered from the ATM.
Local journalist Nandan Pratim Sharma Bordoloi tweeted a video, believed to be from the same ATM. The video shows a dead rat laying in a pile of shredded notes.
Really Size doesn’t matter!! What a rat this is! Rat-bitten bank notes worth Rs 12 lakh 38 thousand. Torn notes and dead rat found inside ATM in Tinsukia Assam. Rat found dead before little one could bite remaining Rs 17 lakh 10 thousand. pic.twitter.com/3Omns7gAZH
— Nandan Pratim Sharma Bordoloi ???? (@NANDANPRATIM) June 18, 2018
The viral news forced HDFC Bank to tweet a clarification, saying the incident did not occur at one of their ATMs, as was suggested by some viral forwarded messages.
Twitterati are both amused and stunned at the strange incident.
"Looks like the mice are having a demonitisation of their own," says one Twitter user. "The money launderer's version of 'My dog ate my homework'," says another.
Surgical strike by mice on ATM machine pic.twitter.com/OrgJrDiXM5
– mogemboo (@mogembokhushua) June 18, 2018
How can a mice tore to shreds notes worth Rs 12 lakhs inside an ATM belonging to the State Bank of India (SBI) in a night ?
An amount of 29lakhs deposited on May 19th & This incident found on Jun 11. But May 20 & June 11 machine went out of Service #SurgicalStrikeBySBI ??
– Manoj Prabakar S (@imanojprabakar) June 19, 2018
ATM machine destroyed by Rat
via Whatsapp pic.twitter.com/S2uMnMc7AB
– DEY! (@ronindey) June 18, 2018
This is what happens when rat enters into ATM pic.twitter.com/UTcPkE0cZm
– BIGG BOSS TELUGU 2 (@NarsiSai) June 19, 2018
Money is Honey but not for the rats.
'Surgical Strike' by mice on SBI ATM, whopping Rs 12 lakhs destroyed.CommentsIn a nearly unprecedented & shocking incident, notes worth over Rs.12 lakh were found shredded apart into pieces, allegedly by mice, in an ATM in Tinsukia, Assam. pic.twitter.com/sv0cGeCOL2
– Ketan Kundaliya (@kundaliyaketan) June 19, 2018
Surgical strike by rats at an ATM machine !! pic.twitter.com/1h7h24QgP0
– Hemant Chandak (@HemantChandak) June 19, 2018