Police in Durg, Chhattisgarh, announced on Saturday that 21 people have been arrested in a scheme involving the theft and illegal sale of iron scrap from the Bhilai Steel Plant. Two senior executives of a private steel company were among those taken into custody.
The arrested executives are Vinod Kumar Garg, 60, managing director of Raipur Power and Steel Ltd, and Sandeep Kumar Singh, 39, a director of the same firm. Investigators said the scrap was dumped and processed at their Rasamda facility.
Both men were produced before a court and placed on judicial remand. The investigation is ongoing, the police said.
The case stems from the recovery of a large quantity of scrap from AK Traders in the Hathkhoj area, under Purani Bhilai police station, on 26 May. Police said an organised network had been diverting scrap from the plant for four to five months by concealing it in consignments of flue dust and storing it illegally before selling it.
Acting on a tip, officers raided AK Traders and seized about 250 tonnes of iron plates, beams, cuttings and other scrap, as well as flue dust. They also confiscated trucks, a JCB excavator, a hydraulic crane and other machinery used to transport the stolen material. The total value of the seized scrap, vehicles and equipment was estimated at roughly Rs 3.22 crore, including scrap worth about Rs 90 lakh.
Police are continuing to identify and arrest other participants. The theft was also highlighted by BJP MLA Rikesh Sen of Vaishali Nagar, who has requested that all persons linked to the crime be arrested regardless of political affiliation.
