Daylight robbery: Men arrested for nicking a bridge
Eight men have been arrested in the Indian state of Bihar for stealing an iron bridge in broad daylight.
When several men arrived in the village of Amiyavar with an excavator and gas torches, locals believed the government was finally removing an old metal bridge that had become more of a nuisance than useful.
The men, including some from the state government’s irrigation department, arrived at 7am and worked until dusk for three days. They cut the iron with gas torches and loosened the ground with excavators before taking the metal away in a rented van.
However, a local journalist told the BBC that no one knew the men were actually stealing the metal, before depositing it at the warehouse of a local scrap dealer for a profit.
“No-one suspected it was a heist,” Jitendra Singh, a journalist who lives “200 metres from the bridge”, told the outlet.
Unique theft in #Bihar, thieves became officers of the irrigation department and stole a 60 feet long iron bridge
In Nasriganj, Rohtas, thieves posing as officers, with the help of local personnel, 1/2@UtkarshSingh_ 📽️ pic.twitter.com/jhnTbUSYDw
— Siraj Noorani (@sirajnoorani) April 8, 2022
The operation was reportedly supervised by Arvind Kumar, who worked part-time at the irrigation department. He allegedly told anyone who asked that “the work had an official sanction”.
Ashish Bharti, the senior police official leading the investigation, said Mr Kumar was one of the men arrested.
“Irrigation department official Radhe Shyam Singh, the van owner and the owner of the scrapyard are also among those arrested. We are looking for at least four more people,” Mr Bharti said.
“Even three days ago, the structure of the bridge was there but suddenly it disappeared and we informed local officials,” Amiyaway local Suresh Kumar told The Hindu.
Pawan Kumar, who lives in a neighbouring village, made the discovery that the operation wasn’t legitimate after he tried contacting Mr Singh and couldn’t reach him.
“I tried calling irrigation department official Radhe Shyam Singh, but when he didn’t answer, I called a senior official to ask why they had not followed procedure - the authorities are expected to issue a tender and the work is given to the lowest bidder,” Mr Kumar told the BBC.
The remnants of the 500 tonne bridge that was stolen in Rohtas, Bihar. Pic via @AmarnathTewary pic.twitter.com/AaB3Ohc41x
— Nistula Hebbar (@nistula) April 9, 2022
The official told him he was unaware that the bridge had been taken down, prompting a complaint to be lodged with police.
After conducting several raids, police have recovered 24.5 tonnes of iron scrap from the bridge, as well as the pick-up van and tools used to strip the bridge, per The Hindu.
The bridge in question was in a serious state of disrepair and had been out of use since the early 2000s, when a concrete bridge was built nearby.
Journalist Jitendra Singh said the head of the village had sent a petition to authorities to remove the bridge since it had become a health hazard.
He said bodies of cattle and even people would get stuck under the bridge after floating from upstream.
“Over the years, all the wood used in the bridge had disintegrated and the iron had rusted. Thieves had stolen bits and pieces of the metal to put it to other use or sell it as scrap for a few rupees,” Shailendra Singh, who lives in the village, told the BBC.
“But what happened last week was daylight robbery.”
Metal is stolen in many parts of India, as well as the US, UK and parts of Europe.
In India, manhole covers and water pipes are common targets, while signalling and power cables, overhead line equipment, and clips to hold train tracks in place in England have caused thousands of hours of delays each year.
Image: Twitter