Hyderabad, Mar 22 (IANS): A portable public toilet disappeared overnight in Hyderabad as a man removed the entire iron-framed box and sold it as scrap, officials said.

The bizarre incident occurred in Malkajgiri circle of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). The municipal workers in the area were shocked on March 16 as the entire Sulabh toilet box installed on the footpath at Safilguda crossroads was missing.

The GHMC officials alerted the police, who registered a case and took up investigation. After scanning the CCTV footage in the area, the police arrested an auto-trolley driver who committed the theft with the help of two men including a GHMC employee.

According to Malkajgiri Inspector Jagadeeshwara Rao, accused Mupparam Jogaiah confessed to the crime. He told the police he sold the iron-framed toilet box for Rs 45,000 to a scrap dealer. Police recovered the stolen property.

Police were on the lookout for GHMC employee Arun Kumar and a private construction company employee Bhiskapati who helped Jogaiah in the theft.