KORBA: The Jatga police have recovered around 6.5 tonnes of railway tracks allegedly kept in a rented house at Barbaspur village under Jatga police outpost area. The recovery has raised suspicion of a scrap theft racket targeting the newly laid railway tracks under the Chhattisgarh Rail Corridor project.
According to police, 36 pieces of railway tracks weighing around 6,480 kg were recovered from the rented premises. Four oxygen cylinders, a gas cutter, a domestic LPG cylinder, other tools and a Swaraj Mazda vehicle were also seized from the spot.
The rented house belonged to Akhay Lal and had been taken on rent by a man identified as Raju Kumar. Police said Kumar was working with a private company engaged in the construction of the new railway line under the Chhattisgarh Rail Corridor project.
The police team conducted a raid after receiving information about the suspected illegal storage of railway material. However, Kumar reportedly fled from the spot after getting wind of the police action. Efforts are on to trace and apprehend him.
Katghora SDOP Vijay Singh Rajput said 36 pieces of railway tracks, weighing approximately 6,480 kg, were recovered from the rented house. The police have also seized equipment allegedly used for cutting the railway tracks.
Jatga police outpost in-charge Bhim Yadav said the concerned railway officials have been informed about the recovery. Officials of the company engaged in the railway line project have also been called to verify the recovered material and ascertain how it reached the rented premises.
Police suspect that the recovered material could be linked to an organised scrap theft network operating in the border areas of the district. Further details are expected to emerge after the arrest and interrogation of the accused. The police are conducting further investigation into the case.
