Daijiworld Media Nework – Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Mar 1: The personnel of the district crime intelligence bureau and the town police station here  have arrested a gang of four men involved with the theft of batteries and copper cables from various places within the district. The arrests were made on Monday February 28. and various stolen items worth lacs of rupees were recovered.

The arrested people have been identified as Manju Poojary (26) from Kottakki in Rattady village in Kundapur taluk, working as a driver of a car hired to Aircel Company, Chenneshappa (26), a technical staff of Aircel,  and native of Mallapur village in Honnali, Davangere, Chittananda Swamy (24) from Mangikuppe in Turuvekere taluk, Tumkur district, who works for Aircel, and Basavaraj, a technical staff of Airtel Company, an informant about the availability of copper wires.

The four allegedly broke open the lock of the shelter below the Tata Indicom tower located near the Ayurveda College in Kutpady, Udyavar near here a week ago, cut off the alarm system connection, destroyed the monitor system, and stole 24 new batteries worth about a lac of rupees. During investigation, it was concluded that people having technical knowledge about the working of the towers were involved with this theft.

The policemen say that the things stolen by the gang were bought by Mohammed Siddique Rehman residing near the fish market, with full knowledge that they were stolen. A total of 92 batteries and 81 kgs of copper wires were stolen, and a Tata Indica and Innova cars were used to transport the stolen items. A Tavera vehicle has been confiscated in this connection. The value of things taken into possession by the policemen has been put at Rs 21.52 lac.

Additional superintendent of police (ASP), Venkateshappa, and deputy SP, Jayant V Shetty, guided the operations in which local circle police inspector, S V Girish, sub-inspectors of police, Sampat Kumar from Udupi, and Mahesh Prasad from Kota, and a number of other personnel were involved with the operation.