Cops flummoxed as miscreants make off with 10 mobile toilets placed in Pune's Hinjewadi area as part of the programme to eradicate open defecation
The toilets are easy to move from one place to another, and the thieves stole them under cover of night. Representation Pic
The police are on a mission to sniff out the crooks who made off with 10 mobile toilets that had been installed in Hinjewadi as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The theft came to light after Yogesh Baban Phalle, from PCMC's Health Department, inspected the area and did not find the toilets there.
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Hinjewadi, an IT hub, falls under the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC)'s smart city project. The civic authorities had placed the toilets - worth Rs 1.5 lakh - at the Katraj Dehu Road bypass near Tathawade, with the aim of making the area open defecation-free (ODF).
The toilets had been installed close to the slums near the Katraj Dehu Road bypass. Representation Pic
PCMC official Phalle registered an FIR for theft (Section 378 of the IPC) at the Hinjewadi police station on Monday, around 6.30 pm. Manoj Lonkar, executive officer from the Health Department, said, "The toilets had been installed some six months ago. They are portable toilets, so are easy to move from one place to another. In the wee hours of April 11, some unidentified person took the toilets. Our officials approached the police, but initially the cops did not register the case. They asked our officials to check with the other departments and enquire about the toilets. Only on Monday did they finally register the FIR."
Senior Inspector Arun Waikar, from Hinjewadi police station, said, "The mobile toilets were found missing by a health officer during his inspection. He interacted with locals, who said the units had been stolen. The toilets were placed near a slum area. We are looking for clues in CCTV footage from nearby areas, as well as tips from informants.
Mayor Nitin Kalaje said, "This is really shocking. We demand that the thief be arrested quickly, as this is a loss for the public."
Also read: Mumbai Crime: Police see thieves in the act, give chase, nab duo
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