Police are in the hunt for persons who stole Rs 447,266 from the bill counter of Sunrise Bank at Dharan-based BP Koirala Institute of Health Science on Monday.

A bank employee who arrived for work at 9am on Tuesday informed the police after seeing that the lock at the chain gate and the door of the bill counter was broken.

Dharan Area Police Office DSP Rameshwor Poudel informed that the police are investigating the incident that occurred in the bank that is being operated inside a room of BPKIHS specialty service building.

As per the police, the perpetrator cut the feed of the close circuit camera and also took the recording device before making off with the cash from one of the most secure areas inside the institute.

The police informed that the stolen amount was kept inside a cardboard despite the bank having a safe box. The perpetrators have also vandalised other objects inside the room however they have not caused any damage to the safe box that contained Rs 1,079,000.

Meanwhile, the police are in suspicion over the stolen amount as claimed by the bank saying that the bank office that had a safe box would not keep that much amount outside the locker.

“The bank does not keep such big amount in a carton box when it has a safe box to keep the cash,” said DSP Poudel, “This is negligence on the part of the bank as well.”

The security at BPKIHS is undertaken by KTM securities with over 100 security guards on duty all over the institution. Also the building from where the money was stolen is just over 150 metres from the emergency ward that houses a police post under the command of an Assistant Sub-Inspector.

Meanwhile, the police have sought permission from the Sunsari District Court to seek the call details around the BPKIHS area to trail the suspect.