A shocking theft has been uncovered in Korba district, Chhattisgarh, where a 40-year-old iron bridge was cut and stolen using a gas cutter. Police have arrested five suspects in the case, while 10 others, including a scrap dealer, are still at large. Together, the accused stole approximately 15 tons of iron railing from a bridge in the Dhodhipara area.
This incident occurred in the CSEB outpost area under the Rampur Civil Lines police station. On the night of January 17th, the accused arrived at the scene with a gas cutter, an oxygen cylinder, and an LPG cylinder. They worked hard all night to cut the approximately 80-foot-long railing. The railing was cut into small pieces and taken away in a vehicle. The theft was discovered the next morning when locals noticed that half of the bridge was missing. Residents of Municipal Corporation Ward No. 17 used to commute to the city via this bridge, but after the bridge was stolen, the route has been completely blocked.
The pipeline is also in danger.
Ward councilor Laxman Shrivas said that the thieves not only cut the railing of the bridge, but also the iron structure supporting the pipeline of the water augmentation scheme over Dhenguranala. Iron angles up to 15 feet have been cut, due to which the safety of the pipeline is in danger. The councilor expressed apprehension that if support is not provided soon, the pipeline may collapse, which could lead to a severe water crisis and a major accident in the area. During the theft, some iron pieces were also found falling into the canal.
5 accused arrested, 10 absconding.
Following the complaint, a case was registered under Crime No. 53/2026, Sections 303(2), 112(2), and 317(2)(4) of the IPC. In a joint operation by the Cyber Cell Korba and the CSEB Police Outpost, 15 accused were identified. The arrested accused include Aslam Khan, Mukesh Sahu alias Barbati, Shiva, Sonu Memon, and Sumit Sahu. During interrogation, the accused confessed to cutting and stealing iron railings from a canal bridge. Police also recovered the cut iron railings from their possession. According to the police, most of the accused involved in this gang are involved in the scrap business. The five arrested accused have been sent to judicial remand, while the search for the 10 absconding accused has been intensified. Korba Police have appealed to the public to immediately report any damage to public property or suspicious activity to the police.