Ghaziabad police have arrested four members of a gang accused of stealing approximately 50,550kg of iron rods from a construction site in Wave City, while the gang’s mastermind, scrap tycoon Ravi Kana’s cousin, remains absconding.
The accused include:
Aaftab (36) alias Afzal – resident of Masuri, Ghaziabad
Shahrukh (23) – resident of Bulandshahr
Naeem (24) – resident of Hapur
Wasid (25) – resident of Hapur
How the Theft Occurred
On February 8, a case was registered at the Wave City Police Station after a complaint revealed that employees of the Aditya Kutumbakam construction project manipulated a computerised weighbridge. They installed electronic chips to record less material than was actually taken, effectively stealing iron rods that were paid for.
A day later, Shravan, an employee of Aditya World City, was arrested for involvement in the theft. On February 10, Babar Malik, a resident of Kaila Bhatta, was apprehended with three 18-wheeler truck trailers containing 7,800kg of stolen iron rods, fake bills, electronic chips with remotes, and an Aura car. He was subsequently jailed.
Arrests of Aaftab and Co-Accused
Aaftab was arrested from Meerut Mod on February 16 after a tip-off. Police recovered from him:
Two mobile phones
Two electronic chips
Ten remotes for the chips
Soldering wire and testing equipment
Two fake bills for stolen iron rods
Based on his information, police seized three truck trailers with 44,550kg of stolen iron rods near Hamdard Ground parking in Lohiya Nagar. The three co-accused driving the trucks were arrested as well.
Gang’s Profits and Ongoing Investigation
During interrogation, Aaftab revealed that proceeds from the theft had been used to purchase plots of land, houses, vehicles, and truck trailers. He also admitted to working with Raju alias Rajkumar Adhana, the maternal cousin of scrap tycoon Ravi Kana, who remains at large. A police team is actively searching for Adhana and other associates.
The accused have been booked under the following sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita:
