Delhi Police arrested five individuals involved in a series of copper cable thefts from metro tracks across the city, causing significant disruptions to services and posing safety risks to commuters. The thefts, which began in February 2024, led to delays, temporary shutdowns, and even a major disruption on the Red Line on Thursday. A stolen signalling cable caused a six-hour delay, severely affecting metro operations.
Hareshwar Swami, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Metro), confirmed the arrests of Mohammed Karimulla, 24; Mohammed Anas, 21; Mohammed Junaid, 25; Mohammed Alam, alias Rabi Alam, 25; and Suraj Singh, 25. “The thieves used piles of debris to gain access to metro tracks, cutting through barbed wire to steal valuable copper cables,” Swami explained.
The thefts occurred at multiple metro stations, including Azadpur Metro, Nehru Place Metro, Shastri Park Metro, and Okhla Vihar Metro. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had lodged several complaints about stolen cables, with the most recent incidents taking place at Mool Chand and Lajpat Nagar stations in the first two weeks of February. Since June 2023, 89 cases of cable theft have been reported, targeting key metro infrastructure, including signalling, traction, and electrical cables.
Anuj Dayal, principal executive director of corporate communications at DMRC, emphasized, “We expect active support from Delhi Police in investigating cable theft to ensure no inconvenience is caused to the commuters of Delhi.”
A special police team was formed to investigate the crimes. Officers analyzed CCTV footage and tracked the suspects’ movements, leading to the arrest of Karimulla, Anas, and Junaid in Sharam Vihar and JJ Colony in Kalindi Kunj, recovering 22 meters of stolen copper cable. Further investigation revealed that Alam and Singh, the masterminds behind the racket, had fled to West Bengal. A team dispatched to Kolkata, with the help of local police, arrested both men and recovered six more meters of stolen cable and ₹5,000 in cash. The arrested suspects have been sent to judicial custody, and investigations are ongoing to uncover additional leads.
Thursday’s disruption on the Red Line (Rithala to Shaheed Sthal) was a result of a signalling cable theft between Seelampur and Welcome Metro stations. Trains operated at restricted speeds, causing significant delays, until temporary cable replacements were made by 12:21 p.m.
Police confirmed that the arrested individuals were involved in several other theft cases across the Delhi Metro network, with further investigations underway.
