S Sikandar and Nazma Sikandar.
Image Source: Vijaya Karnataka
The Bengaluru police on 16th February stated that they have arrested a couple for stealing traffic signal batteries worth Rs 20 lakhs. The police stated that the couple stole 230 batteries from 68 traffic junctions over the past few months. These batteries are used to un traffic signals.
The accused go by the name of S Sikandar and his wife Nazma Sikandar and they are the residents of Chikkabanavara. According to police sources, S Sikandar used to run a tea stall but had to shut it down during the lockdown. Adapting to the changing times, he started selling tea on his scooter but allegedly was harassed by the traffic police. On one occasion, he alleged that the traffic police broke his flask.
S Sikandar was furious over the incident and decided to get revenge by stealing the batteries installed in the traffic signals. Soon the police noticed that the batteries disappeared almost every day. The police had to scan through 300 CCTV cameras while probing the crime and realized the couple operated between 3 am and 5 am. The police further said that they sold the batteries to a scrap dealer at a very low price.
The police said that the accused had disabled the backlight of his scooter to evade the police. Moreover, the police stated that they did not stop vehicles with women in the early morning. Therefore, taking this advantage Sikandar told his wife to tag along to steal the batteries.
The officer-in-charge said that they got a lead that the two-wheeler which was used while stealing the batteries used to take the Goraguntepalya road. Soon S Sikandar and his wife were caught as well as the scrap dealer.
References: The Indian Express
