In a major breakthrough, the Padampur police in Bargarh district arrested seven members of a bike theft gang and seized 17 stolen bikes on Wednesday. The gang was caught following a routine police check on Tuesday evening at Kudasingha Chowk on the Gaisilet road.
Two gang members, Dhanjaya Sahu and Kusa Nag, were stopped while riding a speeding bike. Upon questioning, they confessed to stealing the bike from Balangir. Their interrogation revealed the existence of a larger bike theft racket, prompting the police to form a special team to investigate further.
A raid was conducted in Gaisilet, where the remaining gang members were apprehended. The accused have been identified as Durjyadhan Badhei, Madhaba Karnal, Laxman Mallick, Mahesh Sahu, and Maya Taria. The gang was found to have been tampering with the number plates and chassis numbers of the stolen bikes before selling them or their parts.
Police have successfully verified the documents of 17 seized bikes, and the rightful owners of the vehicles will be informed. Sub-divisional Police Officer (Padampur), Amritpal Kaur, stated that efforts are ongoing to trace other members of the gang involved in the thefts.
The investigation is expected to uncover more details about the bike theft network, and authorities are committed to dismantling the operation.
