Cop, three aides steal seizedjeep & replace it with wreck

Patna: A seemingly routine police confiscation turned into a scandalous tale of deception when a sub-inspector in Begusarai, along with three accomplices, allegedly stole a seized jeep from the Maithani police station campus only to replace it with an identical wreck. The audacity of the crime sent shock waves through the force, unravelling a conspiracy that played out right under their noses.
The accused have been identified as sub-inspector Sujit Kumar, private police driver Mohammad Zakir and locals Kari Singh and Bhanu Singh, all aged between 35 and 40. All of them were arrested. The police have launched a manhunt for Rupesh Kumar Singh, the jeep's owner, who is suspected of orchestrating the theft.
The theft took place on Feb 15, but the deception only surfaced weeks later, on March 1, when SHO of Maithani police station, Vivek Bharti, noticed something peculiar. The supposedly seized jeep looked suspiciously old and dilapidated. Doubt gnawed at him. A quick check of the CCTV footage revealed the unthinkable – one of their own was behind the switch.
In the dead of night, at precisely 11.45pm on Feb 15, Sujit and his co-conspirators entered the police station premises. Under the cover of darkness, they pushed the seized jeep out and rolled in an old, junkyard vehicle, carefully affixing the original number plate onto the swapped vehicle to avoid suspicion.
"In the footage, it is clear that the accused entered the police station and swapped the vehicles. The stolen jeep was pushed away while a scrap dealer's wreck was planted in its place," said Begusarai SP Maneesh.
The moment Sujit was confronted, the truth came tumbling out. Summoned from the Town police station, where he had recently been transferred but had yet to join duty, he confessed under interrogation. His testimony led to the arrest of Zakir, Kari and Bhanu.
"The accused SI has been suspended. I have ordered further departmental proceedings against him," the SP said, making it clear that betrayal within the force would not be tolerated.
Adding another layer to this intrigue, the stolen jeep had already been entangled in tragedy. On Feb 7, it was involved in a fatal accident near Badalpura village on the Matihani-Begusarai road, killing an 18-year-old woman. The enraged locals had caught the driver and handed him over to the police. The vehicle was seized and kept at Maithani police station.
"The driver was released on a bail bond and the jeep was impounded at the station," the Begusarai SP added.
Sadar-2 SDPO Bhaskar Ranjan said raids were being conducted to recover the jeep and arrest its owner.