Termites devoured millions of rupees at a bank in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh, a news report said Friday. Officials at the State Bank of India in Barabanki district's Fatehpur were shocked to find mutilated notes on opening the bank's vault, the Daily News and Analysis newspaper reported.
The police began investigating after being told about the damage Wednesday and registered a case of negligence by bank officials. The exact extent of the loss was not known, but news channels reported banknotes worth at least 10 million rupees (225,000 dollars) were destroyed. "We have been trying our best to keep currency notes safe, but the termite problem here is so enormous that it would be better to move the branch elsewhere," chief accounts officer OP Dwivedi told the daily. Officials said despite anti-termite treatment in the bank, the insects had damaged furniture and documents in the past. India's central bank ordered a separate inquiry.