Rs 25-lakh chemical theft case cracked, 3 held in Fatuha

Patna: Police on Wednesday cracked the Rs 25-lakh chemical theft case in Fatuha of Patna. They arrested three accused and seized three vehicles used in the crime. The probe revealed that the tanker driver, who reported the theft, had staged the drama to sell 2,400 litres of highly flammable naphtha illegally in Fatuha’s industrial area.The incident came to light when a tanker carrying the chemical from Gujarat to Kolkata was allegedly stolen in Fatuha. The driver reported the theft to the owner, who lodged a complaint with the police. The theft was orchestrated by the tanker driver, police said.The tanker was carrying full-range naphtha chemical. It is an extremely important and flammable petrochemical, which is mainly used in making nail polish, paint, thinner, and various types of plastic products. Apart from this, it is also used for preparing high-grade fuel and as a solvent for cleaning industrial machines.The driver of the tanker was Jagdish Chaudhary, a resident of Barmer in Rajasthan, who, upon reaching Fatuha, gave false information to tanker owner Naseem Hussain that chemicals were stolen from the vehicle. The owner, who is a resident of Howrah, reached Fatuha and filed a written complaint at the local police station on Tuesday.Fatuha SDPO-1, Awdhesh Kumar, said, “During the investigation, when police interrogated the tanker driver, contradictions appeared in his statements. After technical evidence and intensive interrogation, the driver admitted that he himself staged the theft drama out of greed to earn more money and illegally sold the valuable chemical in Fatuha's industrial area.”On the driver's identification, a special police team conducted raids in Fatuha Industrial Area, from where police arrested Amit Kumar Prasad, a resident of Siwan, and Shambhu Kumar, a resident of Parsa Bazar, Patna. Police recovered two pickup vehicles loaded with a total of 2,400 litres of stolen naphtha chemical filled in 12 drums. Additionally, police also recovered a car used in the crime and three mobile phones from them.