Elusive accused arrested after a decade in industrial 5000 kg-nut theft case

Bhilai, May 19 (IANS) After a decade-long chase, police arrested Ravi Soni -- the last accused of theft of five massive industrial nuts, each weighing nearly 5,000 kilograms, from Bhilai Steel Plant in Chhattisgarh.

Soni had been evading capture since his involvement in the case. His long period of hiding was finally cut short when police acted on fresh intelligence, tracked him to his hideout.

Soni, along with four accomplices, conspired in the theft of five massive industrial nuts from the plate mill’s spare yard, valued at an astonishing combined value of Rs 65 lakh.

While his associates had already been arrested, Soni had managed to stay hidden until now.

These stolen nuts were no ordinary hardware; each weighed a staggering 4,674 kilograms and was specifically designed for use in large-scale industrial operations. They had been procured for installation in the plate mill, making their disappearance a significant loss for the plant.

The case dates back to June 23, 2015, when the Deputy General Manager of the plate mill at Bhilai Steel Plant filed a complaint at Bhatti police station.

“He reported the theft of the five nuts, prompting law enforcement to launch an investigation. Acting upon information, the police registered the case under multiple sections against the accused,” an investigation officer of Bhatti police station told IANS.

The officer said, “A case was registered against five accused under sections 379, 447, 467, 468, 471, 120B, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, and soon uncovered crucial details about the crime.”

Investigators determined that the theft had been carried out using a truck bearing the registration number CG 07 AV 2670. The vehicle was seized, and further inquiries revealed that the perpetrators had forged a challan to gain unauthorised access to the steel plant, he said. Once inside, they swiftly removed the nuts from the spare yard and transported them away.

Following the investigation, authorities arrested four of the accused. “All other accused were under judicial remand. Meanwhile, Soni remained at large. He was arrested on Sunday,” the officer said.

“We had received intelligence inputs that he was hiding in Jamul village. Acting swiftly, a team was dispatched to the location, where they conducted a raid and successfully captured him.”

Soni was subsequently presented in court and has now been remanded to judicial custody, bringing closure to a case that had remained unresolved for years. The other accused have already secured bail earlier, the officer said.

--IANS

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