Police arrest suspect for theft of heritage street light pole in Patiala

Patiala, July 24

In a major breakthrough, the Patiala police have apprehended one of the suspects involved in the theft of six fancy poles installed near Kali Devi Mandir under a heritage street project. The theft, which occurred on July 19, has caused major embarrassment for the police, especially since the area is considered a high-security zone.

According to sources, the accused posed as a civic department employee and removed the poles under the pretext of fixing wiring issues during the wee hours. The suspect transported the poles in a vehicle, claiming they would be reinstalled after repairs.

Sharing details of the arrest, SP-City Sarfaraz Alam stated, “One of the accused has been arrested and the hunt is on to nab his accomplices. Both suspects are recidivist elements with a history of theft and have been in and out of jail. The full extent of their modus operandi will be known once the second suspect is apprehended.”

In the meantime, former mayor and BJP district urban president Sanjiv Sharma Bittu expressed concern over the recurring thefts. “Authorities must take stern action to prevent such incidents in the future,” he said.