Srinagar, July 4: The City police Monday claimed to have busted a gang of manhole lid thieves by arresting seven of their key members and recovery of the iron covers weighing around seven quintals.
 The police officials said the thieves were caught while stealing the lids from the drains at Saazgari Pora and ferrying it in a Tata Mobile JK01H 1298.
 Sources said at the tip off the SHO Safa Kadal Bashir Ahmed and his team caught hold of the accused along with the plunder.
 “The initial recovery led to the more arrests and recovery of the lids from a scrap unit,” the police said.
 The gang, as per the police, would steal the manhole lids and sell them as scrap in open markets.
 Seven persons including Farooq Ahmad, Abdul Majid, Nawaz Ahmad, Ghulam Hussain, Parvaiz Ahmad, Fayaz Ahmad and Reyaz Ahmad have been arrested.
 A case vide FIR No. 74/2011 under section 379 and 411 has been registered and investigations are on.
 When contacted the SP north Shoket Shah while confirming the recovery said: “The civil society too should  play a role in unmasking such people who in the garb of doing business run gang of burglars.”
 “We appeal the people of Shahr-e-Khaas to assist police in getting such miscreants nabbed who want to steal government property only to risk the lives of people,” he said.
 “Such thefts where a manhole goes missing could prove deadly for travelers,” the SP acknowledged.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 4 Jul 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 4 Jul 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 5 Jul 2011 00:00:00 IST