Truck driver held for theft of LED bulbs worth Rs45L

Gorakhpur: The city police on Monday busted a theft case involving LED bulbs worth over Rs 45 lakh and arrested the truck driver who allegedly fled with the consignment. The accused, Gulshan Shah Kanu, was apprehended by the Cantt police along with the SWAT team, and 352 sealed cartons of LED bulbs were seized.Superintendent of Police (City) Nimesh Dashrath Patil said that Kanu, a resident of Mainatar in West Champaran district of Bihar, was transporting the LED bulbs consignment when he allegedly misappropriated it. According to police, the complainant's transport work was handled through Maruti International Transport located near Thuthibari crossing in Maharajganj. The consignment, comprising 374 cartons of LED bulbs weighing around 3.18 tonnes, was loaded at Faridabad–Palwal in Haryana and was to be delivered to Kathmandu via the Sonauli route. The accused truck driver had received Rs 80,000 as freight charges after loading the goods.Later, the driver informed the transporter that the truck had developed a mechanical fault and claimed it was parked in the GIDA area, seeking an additional Rs 20,000 for repairs. However, when the complainant's husband reached the spot, neither the truck nor the driver was found. The accused also switched off his mobile phone.Following a complaint, an FIR was registered at Cantt police station under section 303(2) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). During investigation, police found that the driver had allegedly conspired with an accomplice to steal the goods.