Iron theft in Tuli Paper Mill

Cast iron piping materials worth Rs.25 lakhs were removed from the godown of the NPPC (Tuli paper mill) on Sunday, September 21 and sold to vendors at various places in Assam, bordering Nagaland.
According to a report received here, the cast iron piping materials weighing a total of around 12 metric tons were part of those that were stolen from the same complex in 2005 and recovered by police and stored in the mill’s guard room.
During investigations in 2005, police had arrested a total of 18 persons involved in the racket on separate occasions.
Four of the accused arrested were chargesheeted on June 15 that led to the recovery of around 2130 kgs of stolen materials. Again, on November 20 a total of 15 persons were arrested and chargesheeted separately. A total of 24,420 kgs of stolen iron piping materials were also recovered following the arrests of the 15 accused by police during the investigation.
The stolen materials recovered from various places were then stored in the guard room of the NPPC.
After around fifteen months later, on September 21 and between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. ,some of the staff of the NPPC removed the materials from the guard room and loaded them into trucks parked at the mill’s main gate.
It was reported, that the trucks laden with stolen iron piping materials were then transported to Assam, bordering Nagalnd and sold to various vendors.
Interestingly, the main gate where the stolen materials were being loaded was about fifty meters away from the residence of one mill official.
On learning of the blatant theft, workers of the NPPC raised hue and cry, and demanded that the mill’s management take up the matter seriously and on top priority.
However, it was also reported, that even after some of those NPPC staff involved in the crime were arrested by police, they were immediately left off and seen roaming around the mill site a few hours later.
Meanwhile, theft of properties had plagued the mill even while it was functional during the eighties. A vice ring of corrupt elements in the mill appear to have revived the racket and the role of the police and authorities appear to have also come under scanner.