Police in Korba city, Chhattisgarh state, India, today announced the arrest of five individuals among 15 suspects identified following the theft of a steel bridge in the area last week. The arrested suspects are aged 19-27. Police are continuing to search for the remaining 10 suspects, including two alleged ringleaders, Mukesh Sahu and Aslam Khan.

The steel bridge, which spanned the Hasde canal, was over 21 meters long and weighed more than 10 tons. It vanished on the morning of 18/1, despite residents having used it normally the day before. Deputy Superintendent of Police Lakhan Patle stated that the suspects used gas cutters to dismantle the bridge's railings and entire structure, then sold the steel as scrap metal.

The remaining steel parts of the 10-ton bridge stolen in Chhattisgarh state, India. Photo: India Today

Bhimsen Yadav, head of the local police station, added that investigators recovered about 7 tons of steel hidden by the suspects beneath the canal. They also seized the vehicle used to transport the stolen steel and are clarifying the location where the remaining materials were sold.

The bridge over the Hasde canal had stood for nearly 40 years. Local residents now must use a nearby concrete bridge following the theft.

A similar bridge theft occurred in Rohtas district, Bihar state, in 4/2022. In that incident, a group of thieves posed as a Irrigation Department team, using gas cutters and excavators to dismantle an 18-meter-long steel bridge, which they then sold. The process took three days and was witnessed by local residents, all of whom believed it was an official government operation. Indian police later arrested eight members of that suspect group, including an irrigation expert and a local politician.