Three held for stealing safety fence along Samruddhi

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The Chandanzira police in Jalna district arrested three men for allegedly stealing iron angles and protective fencing installed along the Samruddhi expressway, and seized stolen property and a vehicle, collectively worth Rs 5.5 lakh, in the early hours of Saturday.The protective iron angles and mesh had been installed along the expressway to prevent cattle from straying onto the carriageway and causing accidents and financial loss. The accused were transporting the stolen material for sale near the Nagewadi toll naka, in Jalna city, when they were intercepted after a chase, said Jalna superintendent of police Ajaykumar Bansal.According to the police, around 12.30am on Feb 28, a Chandanzira police patrol team spotted a pickup behaving suspiciously near the Nagewadi toll plaza. On noticing the police vehicle, the pickup sped towards Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, prompting a chase. The driver eventually stopped the vehicle by the roadside, and three occupants attempted to flee under the cover of darkness.The police managed to nab Ikrar Khan Mukhtar Khan and Vilas Bhaolal Chundiyal, both residents of Dusarbid in Sindkhed Raja taluka of Buldhana district. The pickup's owner-driver, Devanand Shankar Doifode, a resident of Keshav Shivni in Sindkhed Raja taluka, fled the spot. His whereabouts are currently unknown.A search of the pickup led to the recovery of nearly 1 tonne of iron angles and fencing mesh. The police also found three heavy-duty cutter tools used for cutting iron inside the vehicle. When questioned about the ownership of the iron material, the detained accused allegedly failed to provide satisfactory answers and gave evasive replies, raising suspicion that the goods were stolen.The accused were brought to the Chandanzira police station, where a case was registered on the complaint of police head constable Krishna Tange. During sustained interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed to stealing the iron angles and fencing from a stretch of the Samruddhi expressway between Sindkhed Raja and Kingaon Raja. They also admitted to committing a similar theft earlier and selling the stolen material.The police informed the Samruddhi Expressway authorities about the theft, and further investigation is underway to trace the accused who fled.