AYODHYA: In a curious case of theft, around 3,800 newly installed bamboo lights and 36 Gobo projector lights, collectively worth more than Rs 50 lakh, were stolen from the highly secured Bhakti Path and Ram Path in Ayodhya. An FIR in connection with the theft was registered at Ayodhya’s Ram Janmabhoomi police station on Monday night.
The Ayodhya Police stated that they are probing the veracity of the claim made in the FIR.
According to police sources, the theft was discovered when Shekhar Sharma, a representative of Yash Enterprises and Krishna Automobiles (the companies awarded the contract to install the lights), filed a report via email two days ago. Sharma claimed that he became aware of the theft on May 9 of this year, when he noticed the lights were missing during a routine check, a month after his previous inspection.
The firms contracted by the Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) had installed 6,400 bamboo lights on the trees along Ram Path and 96 gobo projector lights on Bhakti Path. Although the firm became aware of the theft in May, the FIR was only filed on August 9, which was three months later. The complainant did not explain the delay in reporting the matter.
Ayodhya police noted that the complaint was submitted through the e-FIR system and did not come directly to the police station. The authenticity of the complaint is being verified, and the matter is under investigation. There is speculation that the firm responsible for installing the lights may have put up fewer lights than promised. However, the accuracy of the number of lights stolen is being verified through CCTV footage of the vicinity.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Ayodhya, Raj Karan Nayyar, stated that Sharma has been requested to assist the police authorities in the investigation. “We have asked the complainant to identify the specific locations where the stolen lights were installed,” said a police officer.
Meanwhile, Ayodhya DM Chandra Vijay Singh has sought a report on the theft case from the ADA.
