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Two were persons were arrested for trying to steal copper wires worth Rs 10 lakh from the Tata Steel works in the wee hours of Thursday.
Bistupur police identified those held as dumper driver Santosh Kumar Singh and crane operator A.K. Chowdhury.
Earlier, the company security personnel had recovered a huge drum hidden inside a dumper carrying waste material from the works. Inside the drum was copper wire estimated to be worth Rs 10 lakh.
According to the police, while patrolling the material handling section, the security personnel spotted a crane picking up a drum and loading it on a dumper around 3am. After putting the drum in place, the crane covered it with waste material that the dumper was originally supposed to carry.
Once the loading operation was over, the dumper started moving toward Jugsalai Power House gate when the security personnel gave chase.
“When he realised that the security men were after him, the dumper driver turned the vehicle and moved towards a vacant spot where waste material is dumped. However, he was intercepted by the guards who asked him to unload his vehicle, exposing the drum containing the copper wires,” said a police officer.
Security inspector Ashok Kumar Ojha immediately nabbed dumper driver Singh and then caught crane operator Chowdhury, before handing over both to the police.
The police have seized the two vehicles and the stolen goods. On being asked, the dumper driver said he was not aware that there was a drum containing copper wire.
A security official said incidents of theft or attempted theft are regularly reported in the company, but this was the first time that employees engaged by contract firms were found guilty.
Officer-in-charge of Bistupur police station, Arun Kumar Rai said both Singh and Chowdhury have been arrested for attempted theft.
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