In a crackdown on infrastructure theft, Begumpet police have arrested two men involved in the theft of nine batteries from traffic signals across the city. The accused allegedly stole batteries from traffic points in Begumpet, Borabanda, Kanchanbagh, and Kachiguda, according to North Zone DCP S. Rashmi Perumal.
The prime accused, identified as Sameer, is currently absconding. However, police arrested his associate Md. Amjad (25), who allegedly helped execute the thefts, and scrap dealer Md. Jhangir (40), who received and resold the stolen batteries.
Authorities stated that the thefts had been affecting traffic signal operations and contributing to road safety concerns. Police launched an investigation following reports of signal failures in multiple areas, which led them to trace the missing batteries to a local scrap dealer.
Md. Jhangir, who operates a scrap business, reportedly bought the stolen items at low prices and resold them, knowing their illegal origin.
Efforts are ongoing to locate and arrest Sameer, while further questioning is underway to determine if the group is linked to additional cases of infrastructure theft.
