7 held for theft of electric wires and transformers

Varanasi: Following exchange of fire with police, seven accused of stealing electricity wires and transformers were arrested in Ballia districts. Two of them suffered bullet injury in the leg and were admitted to hospital.Ballia ASP (northern) Dinesh Kumar Shukla said on Thursday that on tip-off about presence of criminals in Akbarpur village police from Sahatwar and Bansdih police stations cordoned off the area and launched a checking drive early morning and spotted two four-wheelers coming from Samarthpar side. When policemen signaled them to stop, both vehicles started reversing and as police chased them, gang members who were accompanying on motorcycles started firing. In retaliatory action by police, two of them, Tinku Kumar Shah (37) and Shameem Ansari (36) were injured in the leg. Police recovered two pistols, cartridges, motorcycles, stolen electricity wire, wire-cutting pliers and rubber gloves before rushing them to hospital.On the basis of information shared by those arrested, police rounded up and arrested their five accomplices, including Arvind Yadav, Mannu Kumar Sah, Rohan Kumar Pandey, Firoz Khan and Abhishek alias Anshu Gaud. Tinku and Shameem admitted that their gang stole electricity wires and transformer equipment on Mar 27 night from Dudhaila village and from Akbarpur on Mar 30 night.