JAMMU: Police Station Janipur has busted an organised gang allegedly involved in the theft of electric distribution transformers, arresting five persons and recovering two stolen 250 KVA transformers during investigation into FIR No. 161/2026 registered under Section 303(2) of the BNS.
The case was registered on the complaint of Vijay Sharma, AEE, Electric Sub-Division-II, JPDCL, Janipur, following reports of theft of distribution transformers. Acting on technical surveillance and human intelligence, a team of Police Station Janipur, led by the SHO, arrested five accused identified as Mohd Younas of Sandhori, Bajalta; Asghar Ali of Bajalta; Mohd Yousaf of Bajalta; Zakir Hussain of Burma, presently Bathindi; and another Zakir Hussain of Sandhori, Bajalta.
According to police, sustained interrogation led to disclosures regarding the gang’s alleged involvement in multiple transformer thefts in and around Janipur, Bhalwal and Bajalta. On the accused persons’ disclosures, police recovered two 250 KVA transformers from Ring Road, Kote Bhalwal, which had allegedly been stolen from the area.
Police also seized two vehicles allegedly used in the commission of the offences—a tipper bearing registration number JK02CW-3254, reportedly used to transport the heavy transformers, and a Scorpio bearing registration number JK02DC-7156, allegedly used for conducting reconnaissance and facilitating the thefts.
Investigators said the gang allegedly conducted reconnaissance of isolated transformers during the day using the Scorpio and removed them during late-night hours with the help of the tipper. The stolen transformers were allegedly dismantled and their copper and oil disposed of through scrap markets. Police said similar thefts had been reported at multiple locations in Jammu district using the same modus operandi.
Further investigation is underway to identify other associates and alleged receivers of the stolen property, with police indicating that additional recoveries may follow.
Jammu Police has appealed to the public to immediately report suspicious movement around electrical installations by calling 112 or contacting the nearest police station, noting that transformer thefts cause financial losses and can also disrupt electricity supply to consumers.
