In Bihar's latest bizarre heist series, entire pond ‘stolen’

Patna: In the latest addition to a series of bizarre thefts in Bihar, an entire pond has mysteriously vanished, replaced by a hut that left locals bewildered in Darbhanga district in Bihar.

The surprising appearance of a hut prompted residents to alert the authorities, but the alleged land mafia responsible for filling the pond to take over the land, had already fled by the time the police arrived.

The missing pond, believed to be publicly-owned and utilized for fishing and other activities, became a target for the land mafia due to the soaring land prices in Darbhanga.

Despite locals raising concerns and filing complaints during the initial stages of pond-filling, the mafia continued their clandestine operations in the dark, until the pond was entirely gone.

"People say the pond was filled with soil within 10-15 days. The work was done only at night. Officials had visited the spot earlier and even seized some items," said Amit Kumar, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), as quoted by NDTV.

Bihar has been in the headlines for some of the most unconventional and bizarre incidents of theft.

In November 2022, thieves stole an entire diesel engine, dismantling it part by part from a railway yard in Begusarai. Employing a tunnel to access the yard, the culprits managed to take away the entire engine, which was there for repairs.

In a previous incident earlier that year, a 60-foot bridge vanished in Rohtas district. Eight individuals, including a government officer, were apprehended, and 247 kg of iron channels were recovered from the accused.

The thieves employed JCBs and gas cutters to dismantle the bridge, and it disappeared within a mere three days.

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