In a first, two held for stealing BRTS grills

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 24

For the first time, the city police have nabbed two persons for allegedly stealing iron grills installed on the either side of the GT Road and in the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) corridor.

They have been identified as Palwinder Singh, alias Rinku, of Khasa Colony and Gurwinder Singh of Khurmanian village near Gurdwara Baba Jeewan Singh. A case under Sections 411, 427 and 34 of the IPC, and Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act has been registered against them.

According to the police, they were travelling in an autorickshaw bearing registration number PB02DN4203 when they were intercepted by a police party near Paradise Colony. During checking, the police found four iron grills of theBRTS corridor. They had broken and stolen the same on Saturday night from Naraingarh Chowk near the Amritsar-Attari bypass road.

Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Kuljit Singh, investigating officer, said both of them were produced before a duty magistrate on Sunday and taken on two-day police remand for further interrogation. They are said to be drug addicts. The police believe that they have been indulged in such activities in the past as well.

It is evident to mention here that Municipal Corporation (MC) officials had written to the Public Works Department to take action against those removing the grills of the BRTS corridor. The grills have gone missing from different parts of the city, especially the stretch from Putlighar Chowk to Chheharta. At many places, residents too have broken the same to make illegal passage for them to cross the road.

The PWD authorities had earlier written to police authorities for catching those involved in the crime. The police had been suspecting the role of drug addicts.