Thieves target UP school kitchen for LPG cylinder amid shortage concerns

Amid fears of LPG shortages, thieves in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, targeted a primary school, stealing an LPG cylinder meant for children's mid-day meals, leading to one arrest and a police search for the accomplice.

IMAGE: Kindly note that the image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: Shailesh Andrade/Reuters

Key Points

Thieves stole an LPG cylinder from a primary school kitchen in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh.
The stolen LPG cylinder was intended for preparing mid-day meals for students.
One suspect, Giyas, has been arrested, and police are searching for his accomplice, Lavkush.
The theft occurred amid rising concerns about potential LPG supply shortages in the district.
Police recovered the stolen cylinder from a field where the suspects had hidden it.

Thieves broke into a primary school here and allegedly stole an LPG cylinder meant for preparation of mid-day meal for pupils, police said on Monday.

One person has been arrested in this connection while efforts are on to trace his associate, an official said, adding that incidents of LPG cylinder theft have increased in the district owing to feared shortage of LPG supply.

The incident took place in a primary school in Sarai Sahay village under Dariyabad police station limits.

According to police, thieves broke the lock of the school kitchen and fled with an LPG cylinder.

The incident came to light on Monday morning when Furqan Ahmad, representative of the village head of Sarai Shah Alam gram panchayat, was taking a walk in the fields. He noticed two suspicious youth hiding a cylinder among bushes, before fleeing from the area.

Suspecting foul play, Ahmad chased the youths and managed to catch hold of one.

An inspection of the nearby primary school later revealed that the kitchen lock had been broken, police said.

Subsequently, police were informed and a team reached the spot and took the accused youth, identified as Giyas, into custody.

During interrogation, Giyas confessed to committing the theft along with his an associate Lavkush. Lavkush initially fled with the cylinder but fearing he might be caught, decide to hide it in the fields.

Police said the stolen cylinder has been recovered.

Dariyabad Station House Officer Dharmendra Kumar said Giyas has been arrested and is being sent to jail, while efforts are underway to arrest his accomplice.

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