Pune: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has apprehended seven individuals involved in the theft of a height gauge near the underpass at Kalepadal.

The stolen equipment, including a JCB, cutter, and rickshaw, has been seized. The theft was thwarted thanks to the vigilance of an off-duty railway employee.

The underpass, built by the railway administration for small vehicle traffic, had a height gauge installed to restrict larger vehicles. On June 12, around 2 PM, the accused arrived with equipment to dismantle the height gauge, intending to sell it as scrap.

Off-duty railway employee Pramod Kumar spotted the suspicious activity and intervened. The accused falsely claimed they were acting under municipal orders.

Kumar, aware that the height gauge was railway property, reported the incident to his superiors. RPF Inspector Preeti Kulkarni and her team quickly responded, leading to the accused fleeing the scene.

However, the RPF successfully detained six individuals and later apprehended a scrap dealer, Omprakash Gupta, who had previously purchased stolen height gauges from the accused.

The arrested suspects include Ambika Ramsingh, Muhammad Haroon Idris, Pralhad Survase, and Gopal Salgar. The operation was conducted by Sub-Inspector Maksud Sheikh and his team, including Jamwant Sheikh, Ganesh Gaikwad, S.S. Gholap, and Sainath Jhampale.