Mumbai: Four held for stealing 6,000-kg iron bridge

The Mumbai police have arrested four persons for allegedly stealing a 6,000-kg iron bridge placed over a drain in a western suburb here, an official said on Saturday. The 90-foot-long metal structure in Malad (west) had been constructed by utility company Adani Electricity to move huge power cables, said the official from Bangur Nagar police station. After a permanent bridge was built over the drain, the temporary structure was moved to another place in the area a few months ago, he said. However, the makeshift bridge was found missing on June 26 following which the power company filed a police complaint, the official said.

During their probe, the police found that the bridge was last seen at its place on June 6. As there are no CCTV cameras at the spot, police scanned the footage of surveillance cameras installed in nearby areas and found a large vehicle moving in the direction of the bridge on June 11, the official said. The police then tracked down the vehicle from its registration number. "The vehicle had gas-cutting machines which were used to dismantle the bridge and steal iron weighing 6,000 kg," the official said.

Further investigation led the police to an employee of the firm that had been given the contract to build the bridge. The police arrested the staffer and three of his accomplices last week, the official said. The material stolen from the site has been recovered, he added.