Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS: ‘Surprising’ Rs 20 lakh theft in Vaishali-Sahibabad section

With just days left for the planned launch of the priority section, the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS has seen a Rs 20 lakh theft, which was called ‘surprising’ by the company tasked with laying the track in the Vaishali-Sahibabad stretch of the priority section to be started this month.

As many as 1,101 pieces of fishplates, parts used to attach two pieces of rail, were found missing in two inspections on March 2 and March 7. They were estimated to be worth around Rs 20 lakh in total. The thieves have not been recorded as there were no working CCTV cameras in the area. The CCTVs installed at the Sahibabad station were not operational.

The theft took place in the elevated section of the corridor where the tracks are at a height of 20 m from the ground. With the site of the theft so high, “it is surprising that miscreants could steal the fishplates,” Sunil Solanki from the HR Department of the company responsible, Apurvakriti Infrastructure, was quoted by the Times of India as saying.

The company has now hired a private security agency to guard the construction material in the area so that such incidents can be prevented. An FIR was also lodged against unknown persons under Section 379, Sahibabad ACP Bhaskar Verma said.