Ex-panchayat member among two held for stealing govt equipment in Palamu
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Daltonganj, September 1: An ex-panchayat samiti member, who allegedly turned to stealing after completing his five-year tenure, has…
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, September 1: An ex-panchayat samiti member, who allegedly turned to stealing after completing his five-year tenure, has been arrested along with his alleged accomplice by Naudeeha Bazar police in Palamu district.
The accused have been identified as Awdhesh Kumar Bhuiyan (35) and his brother-in-law Amod Bhuiyan (30). Police said the duo allegedly targeted government offices and schools, stealing electronic equipment and other valuable items.
Ex-PRI member allegedly turned to theft
According to police sources, Awdhesh was elected as a panchayat samiti member from Namudaag East Tola in 2010 and served a five-year term. After the seat was reserved for women in the subsequent election, he fielded his wife as a candidate, though she lost the election.
Police said Awdhesh subsequently became involved in thefts and allegedly used his familiarity with government institutions to identify equipment that could be stolen.
Government offices, schools allegedly targeted
Investigators said the accused allegedly stole a wide range of government equipment, including revolving chairs, home-theatre systems, printers, desktop computers, inverters and laptops.
Police suspect that Awdhesh did not operate alone and allegedly involved his brother-in-law Amod in the thefts. The duo reportedly targeted equipment kept in government schools and offices.
The arrests were made during the police investigation into theft cases reported in the area. Police are now probing whether the two were involved in other similar incidents and are working to recover the stolen property.
Both accused were produced before the court and sent to judicial custody on Monday, police said.
Police probing wider theft network
The arrests have prompted police to examine the duo’s alleged activities over the past few years, including the possibility of their involvement in other thefts of government property in Palamu.
