Udupi: Udupi Town Police have registered a case following the alleged theft of traffic signal equipment worth around Rs 8 lakh near Kalyan Jewellers Junction in Udupi.
The equipment had reportedly been brought to the location for the installation of a traffic signal but was left unused at the site after the project was delayed. The theft came to light when the complainant visited the location and found that the equipment was missing.
Equipment stored at junction since 2023
According to the complaint, Srinivasa Yeluri, AVP – Operations of ACS Technology Limited, Level-7, from Madhapura in Hyderabad, had brought and stored various components required for installing a traffic signal near Kalyan Jewellers Junction on July 18, 2023.
The equipment was intended to be used as part of the traffic signal installation project at the junction.
However, the project did not proceed as planned. Officials of the Udupi City Municipal Council reportedly raised objections regarding the proposed installation, following which the work was delayed.
As the project remained pending, the traffic signal equipment continued to remain at the site.
Equipment found missing
The complainant later visited the location and discovered that the equipment stored there had gone missing.
The missing property reportedly consisted of various components required for the traffic signal installation. The total value of the stolen equipment has been estimated at around Rs 8 lakh.
The complaint was subsequently submitted to the Udupi Town Police, who initiated legal proceedings based on the allegations.
The circumstances under which the equipment disappeared and the persons responsible for the alleged theft are yet to be established.
Police register case under BNS
Based on the complaint, Udupi Town Police have registered a case under Section 303(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Police are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the equipment and identify those responsible.
The fact that the equipment had reportedly remained at the site for an extended period following the delay in the project is likely to form part of the investigation.
Details regarding when the equipment was last seen at the location and when the theft occurred will also be relevant to the probe.
Investigation under way
The alleged theft has raised concerns over the security of equipment procured for public infrastructure projects, particularly when materials are left at project sites for extended periods.
In this case, the equipment had reportedly been stored at the junction since July 2023 after the installation project was delayed. The complaint was filed after the complainant found the materials missing.
Police will now have to establish the timeline of the disappearance, trace the missing equipment and identify the persons involved.
The estimated value of the stolen property, at Rs 8 lakh, makes the case significant as the equipment was intended for a traffic management project in the city.
Further details are expected to emerge as the Udupi Town Police continue their investigation into the alleged theft.