India: Four people held in Mumbai for stealing 6,000kg iron bridge

Police in India’s financial capital Mumbai apprehended four people for allegedly stealing a 6,000 kg iron bridge in a western suburb. The bridge was placed above a drain and was in use until April this year. However, when a permanent bridge was built there, the makeshift bridge was carefully placed in an empty area near Malad Back Road.

The 90-foot-long iron structure was owned by Adani Electricity and was used to place heavy electricity cables, a police official was quoted as saying by India Today.

However, on one fine day in June, the bridge mysteriously disappeared, following which a police complaint was filed by Adani Electricity.

Iron structure valued at INR 200,000

The bridge was last spotted on the site on June 6; however, the FIR was only filed on June 26 following the revelation of the theft. The FIR report mentioned that the value of the stolen bridge is more than INR 200,000 ($2,420).

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As per a report by The Times of India, the bridge was erected in June last year and was removed only after a permanent bridge was built by the authorities at the same location.

Four people held by police

As soon as the FIR was filed, authorities initiated an investigation to find the culprits. What made the case trickier was the fact that no CCTV camera was installed in the area where the bridge was placed to be carted away later. When police checked CCTV footage from nearby areas, they spotted a big truck going towards the Malad Back Road on June 11.

Further investigation led the police to track down the truck on the basis of its registration number and revealed that it was carrying gas-cutter machines, which were most likely used to dismantle the iron bridge.

Shockingly, one person out of the four arrested turned out to be a worker of the same company which was hired by Adani Electricity to build the bridge.

The metal structure was later recovered, as per a statement by Adani Electricity.

A spokesperson from Adani Electricity Mumbai Ltdsaid, "Material stolen from the site has been recovered with prompt action of Mumbai Police. Investigations are ongoing."

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