Two more held for pontoon bridge theft
Ten days after an investigation was initiated into the theft of parts of the Geeta Colony pontoon bridge and a scrap dealer was arrested, the police have arrested two more scrap dealers in connection with the incident.
Ten days after an investigation was initiated into the theft of parts of the Geeta Colony pontoon bridge and a scrap dealer was arrested, the police have arrested two more scrap dealers in connection with the incident.
The arrested persons have been identified as Hari Om, a native of Haryana's Faridabad and Jagdish, who hails from Janakpuri in west Delhi. The police have also recovered stolen iron scrap, parts of the pontoon bridge, weighing around five tonnes after conducting raids at two godowns in Nazafgarh and Mayapuri, owned by the arrested persons, said a police officer.
According to a senior police officer, the arrests were made following the interrogation of Praveen Sharma, who was arrested after the theft of parts of the bridge was reported.
"During interrogation, Sharma had disclosed that the stolen iron parts of the bridge were handed to Hari Om and Jagdish, both scrap dealers. They had hidden the stolen iron scrap in their godowns. We are now looking for Harish, another accused involved in the offence," said the senior officer.
"It was Harish who had given Sharma a fake no-objection certificate of public works department (PWD) and the forged auction letter of UP irrigation department. The fake documents were presented before the PWD officers to hoodwink them and secure the permission for dismantling the bridge," the officer added.
Investigators now plan to shift focus on the involvement of 'insiders' in PWD who played a key role in the fraud.