Pratapgarh Police have busted an inter-district gang involved in stealing transformer oil and electrical equipment, arresting the gang’s key operative, Akhilesh (20), from Chitrakoot near Jagannathpur village, Lalganj area on Sunday.
During the operation, authorities seized:
12 litres of stolen transformer oil
Transformer and electrical copper equipment packed in two sacks
Wire-cutting and theft tools stored in a plastic box
One nylon rope and one vehicle with a fake number plate
The accused has been booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including 303(2), 317(2), 317(4), 317(5), 318(4), 338(4), 336(3), and 340(2).
Investigations revealed that the gang executed three major thefts across Raniganj, Lalganj, and Kotwali Dehat areas. Akhilesh confessed that he used a friend’s SUV with a fake registration to transport stolen goods.
He disclosed the identities of other gang members, including kingpin Sunil Gaur, Lavkush Kasera, and several associates. According to Akhilesh, the gang leader based in Naini, Prayagraj, coordinated operations through WhatsApp calls and instructed members to switch off mobile phones during crimes to avoid tracking.
After the thefts, the stolen goods were reportedly stored at Sunil Gaur’s residence in Naini, where he sold the items and distributed shares among the gang members. Police noted that Sunil Gaur has previously been imprisoned multiple times for similar offences.
The arrest of Akhilesh marks a significant breakthrough in cracking the inter-district transformer oil theft network, and further investigations are underway to apprehend the remaining gang members.
