India News : A surprising theft incident has been reported from Barabanki in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Two thieves allegedly stole an LPG cylinder used for the mid-day meal program from a government primary school but ended up sleeping in a nearby field due to exhaustion. One of them was caught by villagers the next morning.
School Kitchen Lock Broken, Cylinder Stolen
According to reports, the incident took place in Sarai Shah Alam village under the Daryabad police station area on Monday morning. The accused broke the lock of the school kitchen and stole an LPG cylinder used for cooking meals under the government’s mid-day meal scheme.
Village head representative Furkan Ahmad was out for a morning walk when he noticed a young man behaving suspiciously in a mustard field while trying to hide a gas cylinder.
Villagers Act Quickly, Accused Caught
Growing suspicious, Furkan Ahmad followed the man and checked the nearby primary school, where he found the kitchen lock broken. Realizing that a theft had taken place, he caught the suspect identified as Giyas and immediately informed the police by dialing the emergency helpline.
Police soon arrived at the scene and took the accused into custody for questioning.
Police Searching for Second Accused
During interrogation, Giyas revealed that he had committed the theft with his accomplice Lavkush. While they initially tried to escape with the cylinder, they later hid it in a mustard field fearing they might be caught.
Police recovered the stolen LPG cylinder from the field. However, the second accused, Lavkush, is still absconding and a search operation is underway.
Police Statement
Daryabad station in-charge Dharmendra Kumar said that the arrested accused will be sent to jail after completing legal procedures. Police are also conducting raids to locate the second suspect involved in the theft.
Officials also indicated that increasing LPG shortages in some areas have contributed to a rise in such theft incidents.
