Bengaluru, Feb 16 (IANS): Karnataka police has arrested a couple for stealing as many as 230 batteries from traffic signals in Bengaluru and selling them at Rs 100 per kilogram, police said on Wednesday.

The arrested couple has been identified as S Sikandar (30) and his wife Nazma Sikandar (29), residents of Chikkabanawara locality. The couple managed to steal more than 230 batteries, each weighing 18 kilograms and used to power signal lights across Bengaluru.

The couple visited traffic junctions in the wee hours on their scooter and burgled traffic signal batteries. The police department was clueless about the theft, worried over non-functioning traffic signals, realised much later that the batteries were being stolen.

Police sources said that they verified 300 CCTV cameras, and checked more than 4,000 scooter owners before tracing the accused couple. Accused Sikandar had been arrested for vehicle theft. His wife worked as a tailor.

The accused disconnected tail lamp and switched off the headlight of the vehicle and stolen battery was carried in a vegetable bag. Though, there were many checkpoints, no one suspected the accused couple. The stolen batteries cost the Police department Rs 20 lakh.

Sikandar, desperate after his tea shop was closed down by the police, resorted to stealing the traffic signal batteries to make money.

After the first attempt, he shared this with his wife and later, both used to steal traffic signal batteries.