Odisha: 11 Arrested in Theft of Pipes Valued at ₹1 Crore Meant for Water Projects

Bhubaneswar: In a major crackdown, Odisha Police have arrested 11 members of an inter-state gang involved in stealing iron pipes meant for rural water supply projects. The arrests were made in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack cities.

The accused individuals, identified as Ramesh Chandra Sahu (52), Sandip Kumar Agrawal alias Babulu (45), Alok Bhola, Sk Rahim alias Raja (37), Papu Bhuyan (21), Srikanta Maharana alias Patia (23), Rajkumar Parida (32), Bhagirathi Nayak alias Benu, Kartik Chandra Subudhi (34), Rasmiranjan Dash alias Chiku (29), and the main accused Sudhir Behera alias Mantu (34), were arrested from various locations.

According to reports, the gang targeted rural areas in Khurda, Rayagada, Ganjam, Kandhamal, and Cuttack districts, focusing on sites where the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation department was executing pipeline projects. The stolen pipes were then transported via trucks to destinations outside the state for melting purposes. The gang utilized counterfeit documents to facilitate their illegal activities, with an estimated worth of stolen pipes reaching approximately Rs 1 crore.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Prateek Singh, stated that investigations revealed a total of 15 members in the gang, with efforts underway to apprehend the remaining culprits. Behera, the alleged mastermind, strategically identified vulnerable spots for theft and coordinated transportation and labour for cutting operations.

Each member played a distinct role in the criminal enterprise, with some forging documents while others arranged labour and transportation. Notably, two transporters, Ramesh Chandra Sahu and Sandeep Agarwal, were found to be complicit in aiding the gang’s activities.

In a raid, police confiscated Rs 20,000 in cash, an auto-rickshaw, a motorcycle, and 10 mobile phones from the possession of the arrested individuals.