The police on Monday busted a 10-member gang that was engaged in stealing electricity wires. The Khajuri police recovered two drums of high tension electricity wire worth Rs 15 lakh. A vehicle used in the crime and Rs 23,000 in cash were recovered from their possession.
According to the police, on February 22 four miscreants captivated the security guards and took four drums of high tension wire from Tumda village and later released the security guards at a secluded place.
A complaint was lodged with the Khajoori police and after preliminary investigation a case under section 347 and 382 of the IPC was registered. During the investigation on April 30 police received information that contractor Jitendra Sunheria along with Sanjay Soni was trying to sell high tension power line and they were nabbed with the vehicle carrying two drums of wire.
In the initial probe the two confessed the crime and revealed details of the other accomplices. Around 2 quintals of wire worth Rs 30,000 was recovered from Sadiq Khan, a drum wire worth Rs 7.5 lakh from Vijendra Singh's farms was recovered, around 7 sacks carrying 150 kg of wire worth Rs 25,000 and a drum of wire worth Rs 7.5 lakh were recovered from Sanjay Soni's godown in Indore.
One of the accused, Rajesh Soni, is still at large and the police have intensified the search to nab the miscreant. A vehicle bearing registration number MP04/GE/3085 which was used in the theft was recovered by the police.
Vijendra Singh Sisodiya, Maan Singh, Akhilesh Singh and Jitendra Sunheria work as contractors for MPSEB and take work of electric pole installation and used to target deserted areas where the wires were kept and used to steal them during nights. In the investigation the miscreants have confirmed four thefts in Dewas, Sehore and Shajapur areas and the wire was worth around Rs 1 crore.