10-tonne steel bridge stolen overnight in Chhattisgarh’s Korba

Korba (Chhattisgarh): In a shocking incident, thieves have stolen an entire iron bridge weighing over 10 tonnes and measuring nearly 70 feet in length from Chhattisgarh’s Korba district, police said on Saturday. The bridge, constructed around four decades ago over a canal, was allegedly cut into pieces and stolen overnight to be sold as scrap.

According to the police, the theft took place in the Dhodhipara area of Ward No.17, where the iron bridge over the Hasdeo left canal was being used as a pedestrian crossing by local residents. The incident came to light on January 18 when residents noticed that the bridge had mysteriously disappeared.

Korba Additional Superintendent of Police Lakhan Patle said a complaint was filed by local corporator Laxman Shrivas after residents alerted him about the missing bridge. “Based on the written complaint received at the CSEB police outpost, a special investigation team was formed to probe the case,” he said.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the unidentified accused used gas cutters to cut the iron railings and structural components of the bridge. “Stealing such a massive structure required careful planning and coordination. The bridge was dismantled piece by piece during the night,” Patle added.

Using technical analysis, local intelligence inputs and sustained investigation, police identified 15 people involved in the theft. So far, five accused — Lochan Kevat (20), Jayasingh Rajput (23), Moti Prajapati (27), Sumit Sahu (19) and Keshavpuri Goswami alias ‘Picture’ (22) — have been arrested.

During interrogation, the arrested accused confessed that the bridge was stolen with the intention of selling the iron as scrap. Police have recovered around seven tonnes of iron that had been hidden inside the canal, said CSEB police outpost in-charge Bhimsain Yadav.

The vehicle used to transport the stolen iron has also been seized. “We are investigating where the remaining iron was sold and identifying scrap dealers involved in the racket,” Yadav said.

Police said the alleged kingpins of the operation — Mukesh Sahu and Aslam Khan — along with eight other accused, are currently absconding. Special teams have been formed to trace and arrest them.

The incident has raised serious concerns about the security of public infrastructure in the region. Local residents have expressed shock over how such a large structure could be stolen without being noticed.

Police officials said further investigation is underway to uncover possible lapses, wider networks and the role of scrap dealers in facilitating the theft.