Hazira Police have arrested two key suspects, including Mohammed Riyaz Khan, a leader of the Samajwadi Party, in connection with the Rs5.87 crore theft of stainless steel pipes from the Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) storeroom in Hazira. The theft occurred on July 27, 2024, at L&T’s Hazira facility, a plant of national importance that manufactures items for the defense and strategic sectors.
According to Deep Vakil, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) at J-Division, the police had registered the theft case on the day of the incident. A detailed investigation was launched, leading to the identification of the two main suspects: Mohammed Riyaz Khan, a Vadodara-based scrap business operator, and Vivek Sharma, an accomplice.
The police later brought both men to Surat, where they were presented before the court and remanded to four days of police custody.
Investigations revealed that Mohammed Riyaz Khan runs a scrap business in Vadodara, Gujarat. Khan has a notable political background; before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he served as the secretary of the Samajwadi Party’s Uttar Pradesh unit. Furthermore, Khan had been recently nominated for the post of national secretary of the party. His involvement in the L&T theft came to light during the questioning of three other suspects already arrested in connection with the case.
