Construction materials worth Rs 3.48 lakh stolen from Jal Jeevan Mission site in Karnataka

Thirteen bundles of HDPE pipes meant for the drinking water supply project went missing from Barya village storage, prompting police to register a case under Section 303(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Mangaluru: Uppinangady police have registered a case after construction materials meant for the Jal Jeevan Mission project were reported stolen from a storage site in Barya village, Belthangady taluk.

The complaint was filed by Veeresh S. Chandakolu (55), a site engineer with YVR Constructions, Mysuru—the company executing the central government’s drinking water supply project under the Jal Jeevan Mission in Dakshina Kannada for the past three years.

On May 25, a truckload of HDPE pipes was stored at a ground in Devaragudde, Barya village, for later installation under the scheme. The materials were under the charge of Veeresh, assisted by site supervisor P. Chidambara Shetty and JCB operator Girish.

During an inspection on August 13, it was discovered that 13 bundles of pipes were missing—eight bundles of 250-meter pipes (75 mm diameter) and five bundles of 200-meter pipes (63 mm diameter).

The total value of the stolen pipes is estimated at Rs 3,48,000, with the 75 mm pipes worth Rs 2,82,000 and the 63 mm pipes valued at ₹66,000.

Based on the complaint, Uppinangady police have registered a case under Section 303(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).