Amethi Police Bust Solar Plant Wire Theft Gang
Amethi police arrest seven suspects under Operation Chakravyuh for stealing solar plant wires and transformer components.
In a major breakthrough under the ongoing Operation Chakravyuh, the Amethi police have arrested seven individuals involved in a series of thefts targeting solar plants and electrical transformers. The crackdown, carried out by a coordinated team, led to the recovery of stolen wires, cash, and the vehicle used in the crimes.
The Sting Operation
The arrests were executed on October 10 following a precise tip-off. A joint task force, comprising the Bhale Sultan Shaheed Smarak police station, the SWAT team, and the surveillance team, intercepted a pickup truck (registration number UP44CT9539) carrying the suspects. The operation was conducted under the direct supervision of Musafirkhana Circle Officer Atul Kumar Singh.
The apprehended suspects have been identified as:
- Shivpujan Nishad
- Sushil Nishad
- Premlal Nishad
- Anil Nishad
- Vishram Nishad (alias Kinne)
- Kaushaldeep Nishad
- Rajesh Nishad
The group consists of residents from various jurisdictions across the Amethi and Sultanpur districts.
Modus Operandi: Scouting and Stripping Copper
According to Amethi Superintendent of Police Saravanan T., the gang operated with calculated precision. The suspects admitted to targeting a solar plant located in Nevada. Before striking, they meticulously scouted the plant's security measures and access routes to avoid detection.
On the night of September 29, the gang successfully executed a theft at the facility. To maximize their profit, they used tools to burn the plastic insulation off the wires to extract the valuable copper inside. The stolen material was subsequently sold to a scrap dealer for a sum of 80,000 rupees.
The investigation revealed that the gang was highly active, returning to the solar plant on October 2 to commit a second theft, where they hid the stolen wires in a nearby field. Their third attempt, planned for October 10, was thwarted by the police interception.
Transformer Thefts and Recovered Evidence
The suspects' criminal activities extended beyond solar plants. They confessed to a previous theft in March, where they stole winding wires from a transformer on the Jamo-Warisganj road. This specific incident left a trail of spilled transformer oil at the scene. The wires from that theft were sold to a scrap dealer for 27,000 rupees.
During the arrests, police recovered a significant cache of evidence, including:
- 22 bundles of stolen wire
- 80,000 rupees in cash
- A pickup truck used for transporting stolen goods
- Burglary tools including pliers, wire cutters, hacksaw blades, screwdrivers, chisels, and wrenches