Nasariganj bridge theft case :Assistant engineer, among 8 arrested

Eight people, including a water resources department assistant engineer and a seasonal employee, were arrested on Sunday in connection with the Nasariganj iron bridge theft case, police said.

SASARAM: Eight people, including a water resources department assistant engineer and a seasonal employee, were arrested on Sunday in connection with the Nasariganj iron bridge theft case, police said.

The 50-year-old bridge being dismantled. (HT Photo)

According to police, 2.5 quintals of scrap, an earthmover, a pickup van, gas cutters, cylinders along with ₹3,100 cash was also recovered.

“The assistant engineer, identified as Radhe Shyam Singh, posted with Sone canal Nasariganj subdivision was the mastermind who planned and executed the theft with the help of others,” Ashish Bharti superintendent of police (SP) said.

The others who were arrested have been identified as seasonal employee Arvind Kumar, scrap dealers Manish Kumar, Sachidanand Singh, Gopal Kumar, Chandan Kumar, pickup van owner Chandan Sah, and one Shiv Kalyan Bhardwaj.

The rest of the accused has been identified and raids are on to arrest them and recover an entire scrap of the bridge, police said.

A 50-year-old iron bridge, 60 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 12 feet high and constructed over Ara Main Canal at Amiyawar village under Nasariganj police station of Rohtas district in 1972, was dismantled and stolen on April 4.

The accused posing as officials of the irrigation department arrived on the spot with earthmovers, trucks, gas cutters, and technicians and started dismantling the bridge. They convinced the villagers that there was an official order to remove the dangerous bridge before the monsoon season, police said.