Daltonganj: The Harihurganj police in Palamu district on Thursday initiated an investigation into the alleged theft of 275 domestic LPG cylinders from the godown of a distributor late on Wednesday. Dipak Kumar, the dealer, reported that the cylinders went missing from his godown located near National Highway 139.
Police Register Case Under Theft Sections
In his First Information Report (FIR), Kumar claimed that all the cylinders were filled with liquefied petroleum gas. The police have registered a case under the relevant sections of theft in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Investigating Officer Raises Concerns
Deobrat Poddar, the officer in charge of the Harihurganj police station, expressed skepticism about the incident. He stated, “The theft of so many LPG cylinders in broad daylight, and that too near NH 139 where there is round-the-clock police patrol, is hard to accept. Nonetheless, we have started the probe.”
Poddar revealed that the preliminary investigation found that the lock on the godown was neither broken nor showed any signs of tampering. Additionally, there were no indications of any four-wheeler vehicle being used to transport the cylinders from the vicinity. “The godown did not have any CCTV either,” he added.
Suspicions of Illegal Transport to Bihar
The godown is situated close to the Bihar border. Police suspect that the filled cylinders might have been smuggled into Bihar, capitalizing on the ongoing crisis due to the conflict in West Asia. “We will soon crack the case,” Poddar assured.
The investigation is ongoing, with authorities exploring all possible angles to recover the stolen cylinders and apprehend the culprits.
