Currency notes thrown by an unidentified man on Thursday triggered panic among the residents in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore city, which has emerged as a coronavirus hotspot in the state, The Times of India reported.

Local residents found notes in the denominations of 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 rupees lying on the road in front of a lodge in Khatipura area of the city on Thursday. They told municipal authorities that a man had thrown the notes out of a car.

No one has claimed ownership of the notes so far but the police said they are investigating the case. “Our patrolling teams got to know about the development from the local residents and rushed to the spot around 12.30 pm,” Hira Nagar police station in-charge Rajiv Singh Bhadoria told NDTV. “The cops first sanitised all the notes and then seized it for further investigation.”

Bhadoria said that the total value of the notes is Rs 6,480.

Deputy Inspector General Harinarayanachari Mishra said that they will examine the notes for possible coronavirus infection. “All allegations, speculations and possibilities about the notes being contaminated will be examined,” he added.

Mishra also said that the police were examining CCTV footage to see who threw the notes and if anyone picked them up before the residents raised alarm.

Madhya Pradesh has reported 1,120 cases of the coronavirus so far, according to the health ministry data.

Read our top ten updates on the coronavirus pandemic here.

Follow our live blog on the pandemic here.