BENGALURU: The Government Railway Police (GRP) on Wednesday caught two thieves red-handed in their attempt to steal copper from overhead electrical wires on railway tracks in the South Western Railway Zone. They were part of a six-member gang, who had stolen 400 metres of copper wire, valued at nearly Rs 4 lakh in the market, in the last one week.
The thefts had been carried out on the tracks between Anegere and Hulkoti Railway stations, which fall on the route between Hosapete and Gadag, police said. GRP Vijayapura Circle Inspector D B Patil told TNIE that Ravi Parsappa and a minor boy (name withheld) were found roaming on a bike early on Wednesday morning.
“Our constables carrying found them moving around in a suspicious manner on the road near the track. They had with them a bag with equipment used for cutting. They were nabbed, and on interrogation, confessed to the copper wire theft. They led the team to a spot where they had concealed 200 metres of the stolen wire,” Patil said. The duo were booked under Section 379. The other individuals, Nagesh, Sidhu, Arjun, and another Ravi, are absconding, and a search is on to nab them, he added.
“The modus operandi of the gang was to scale the electrical poles near the railway tracks under the cover of darkness and cut whatever they could from the wires running above that are laid for electrification. With one metre of copper wire fetching at least Rs 1,000 in the market, it turned out to be good money for them,” the inspector said.