Nine arrested in Jajpur for electric wire theft

Kendrapada: Jajpur policearrested nine members of a gang involved in stealing electric wires and poles across the state, official sources said on Saturday. Acting on a tip-off, police arrested the suspects near Udayagiri hillock under Balichandrapur police limits on Friday night.Police recovered wire cutting machines, two four-wheelers, six mobile phones, three sharp weapons and various tools from them."We have successfully busted a notorious gang that was targeting rural areas during night," said Samarjit Nayak, IIC of Balichandrapur police station. The gang's activities had caused significant disruption to power supply and inconvenience to residents. The arrested persons are Nanda Maiti, Prakash Maiti, and Ranjan Pradhan from Bengapatia under Jajpur Road police station, and Rajesh Munda, Rasala Munda, Chandam Munda, and Jitendra Behera from Sarangapur village under Kalinganagar police limits.Two receivers of stolen goods, Nabakisor Sahoo and Prasant Sahoo from Bhuban village, were arrested for buying the stolen materials. "The gang is suspected to be involved in multiple thefts across the district and other areas," Nayak added. All accused were produced in the local court on Saturday, which rejected their bail applications and remanded them to judicial custody.