Abohar, July 27: Sadar Police in Abohar have dismantled an inter-state gang of thieves operating across Punjab and Rajasthan, arresting eight individuals, including a scrap dealer who allegedly purchased stolen goods at throwaway prices.
Police said the gang was involved in a series of thefts targeting agricultural fields and rural properties, stealing solar panels, water motors, electric wires, old iron items, and motorcycles. The suspects are expected to be produced in court on Monday, where police will seek their remand for further interrogation.
“During the preliminary investigation, it was found that the gang was active in the theft of equipment from fields and motorcycles from neighbouring Rajasthan,” said Ravinder Singh, in-charge of Sadar Police Station, Abohar.
Four of the arrested suspects — Bawajit Singh Bawa, Jugnu alias Jogi, Yuvraj, and Charanjit — are residents of Jammu Basti. Based on their interrogation, three more were arrested: Vinod Kumar, Sunny, and Mahavir from Burjmuhar village, who allegedly focused on stealing bikes from Rajasthan.
Police said all seven confessed to selling the stolen goods to Surinder Kumar alias Kuki, a scrap merchant based on the Abohar-Fazilka Road. Acting on the information, police apprehended Kuki and seized two stolen motorcycles, 10 iron girders, solar panels, water pumps, and copper wiring stripped from electric meters in farms.
The gang’s arrest comes amid growing criticism from farmers and villagers in the Balluana constituency over a spike in thefts. Several incidents involving missing solar plates, electric motors, and wires from fields had been reported in recent months, putting pressure on local police to act.
“Interrogation is expected to shed light on several pending cases. Many of the accused appear to be drug users who were lured into theft and supported by scrap dealers who bought items without verifying their source,” a senior official said.
Police suspect that other scrap merchants in the surrounding villages may also be complicit in promoting this network of thefts, and further arrests are likely as the investigation deepens.
