Port Blair, Feb 10: The Aberdeen Police has successfully solved a case of theft of Bitumen belonging to PBMC by Govt. Contractors. On receipt of credible information from reliable sources that one truck carrying stolen Bitumen would be departing towards Bambooflat from Minibay area, the SHO, PS Aberdeen, Inspr. D. Jagdishwar Rao formed a raiding team comprising of ASI M. Abdul Rasheed, HC Sanjay PC Rakesh Toppo, PC Mohan Kumar and PC M. Raja Rao. The raiding party intercepted the suspected truck and on search the truck was found to be loaded with bitumen drums.
Upon enquiry, the truck driver stated that the truck was hired by a sub- contractor Prabhu Ram for Rs. 2000/- and it was loaded with coaltar drums at Gandhi Park and the stolen goods were destined for Bambooflat.
On further enquiry from sub-contractor, Prabhu Ram, it was disclosed that he took the sub-contract for carpeting the road at Gandhi Park and after completion of the work, he obtained the un-utilized 14 drums from the main contractor, Neeraj Kumar Tiwari for a sum of Rs. 4500/- per bitumen drum and tried to transport them to Bambooflat. On enquiring about the bills, he failed to produce the same and could not give any satisfactory answer. On suspicion of being a stolen property, the 14 drums of bitumen, alongwith 6 nos. heating drum and the truck were seized under section 102, Cr.PC.
In course of the investigation, the matter was enquired from the Secretary PBMC and Superintending Engineer, APWD and in response to that, JE PBMC informed that 4 nos. Bitumen drums from Joggers Park and 10 nos. Bitumen drums from Gandhi Park were missing along 06 nos. heating drums. The JE inspected the seized bitumen drums and informed that they belong to PBMC and were transported without the consent of PBMC officials.
Upon this, a case vide Crime No. 46/13, dated 08/02/13, u/s 379/34 IPC has been registered at PS Aberdeen and S. Prabhu Ram (32) yrs. Sub-Contractor r/o Pathergudda and Neeraj Kumar Tiwari (35 ) yrs., Govt. Contractor r/o Nayagaon have been arrested for stealing and transporting the Bitumen drums to Bambooflat. The accused persons were produced before the Ho’ble Court from where they were remanded to Judicial custody for 14 days. Further investigation of the case is underway.