"Water pipeline is being installed from Jor Bagh area to Rashtrapati Bhavan. Many pipes to be installed in the pipeline were lying near gate no. 23 and 24 of Rashtrapati Bhavan. The contractor's workers kept the pipes for installation," said New Delhi district police sources.
Arun Jain, whose company has undertaken the pipeline installation contract, registered an FIR with Chanakyapuri police station after receiving information about the missing pipes.
According to the FIR, 20-22 pipes were missing from the spot.
During investigation, police found that the whole incident was captured on a CCTV camera.
The CCTV footage revealed that the miscreants, who reached the spot in a car, put the pipes in a container and left the spot.
Sources at Chanakyapuri police station told that police found the Swift Dzire car used in the act. Police first arrested Ajay (31), a resident of Azamgarh.
During interrogation, Ajay revealed the identity of his accomplices. Mithlesh (38), a resident of Bihar, Uber cab driver Rakesh Tiwari, a resident of Amethi, UP and Guddu Khan, a resident of Delhi were arrested from different locations.
The miscreants revealed that they sold the stolen pipes in Meerut.
They were produced before the court on Wednesday. While, Ajay was sent to the police remand, the court sent other convicts to jail.
(Sanjeev Kumar Singh Chauhan can be contacted at sanjeev.c@.in)
( With inputs from IANS )