Argus News - Midnight Heist Foiled as Odisha Villagers Chase Down Transformer Gang

Sonepur, Feb 9: Five persons were arrested while allegedly stealing an electric transformer at Jamchhapar under Binka police station limits in Odisha's Subarnapur district, a source said Monday.

According to the source, the incident took place late at night when the accused were dismantling transformers in the Mahadevpali and Jamchhapar areas. Residents noticed suspicious activity and found the group opening the transformer. When the accused attempted to flee, villagers chased them down, caught them and handed them over to the police.

Our source from the ground informed that alert villagers acted swiftly after spotting unusual movement near the transformer site, preventing the accused from escaping.

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Five Accused Identified, Seized Materials Recovered
Binika police arrested Kaya Majhi from Mahasamund in Chhattisgarh, Jagbir Devar from Saraipali in Chhattisgarh, Gopal Bhatt from Mahasamund in Chhattisgarh, Dhaneswar Sahu from Mahasamund in Chhattisgarh, and Anil Sahu from Nuapada district in Odisha in connection with the case.

Police seized 130 kilograms of coil, copper wire, one Tata Ace vehicle, a pair of pliers and three mobile phones from their possession.

A police official informed that the accused were allegedly removing copper wire from the transformer at the time of the incident. “All five accused have been arrested and forwarded to court,” the official said.

"Two members of their gang are still at large. A manhunt has been launched to nab the suspects", the police official added.

Our source from the ground said further investigation is underway to ascertain whether the accused were involved in similar transformer theft cases in nearby areas.