HT Digital
Friday, October 18: A thief and two scrap dealers were apprehended at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) on Wednesday, following a series of thefts at the facility. The arrest was made by the hospital’s private security personnel after the thief attempted to commit a second robbery at the hospital’s super speciality wing. The accused, identified as Kankan Deka, along with two scrap dealers, Afridul, Almor Ali, and Shahidul Box, were handed over to the Bhangagarh police for further investigation.
The theft first occurred on Tuesday, when firefighting equipment was stolen from GMCH’s super speciality wing. However, the thief’s actions were recorded on CCTV cameras installed in the hospital, which provided critical evidence for the investigation. Dr. Abhijit Sarma, the Superintendent of GMCH, confirmed that the hospital authorities had lodged a formal complaint with the police after reviewing the surveillance footage. In an effort to prevent further incidents, GMCH promptly replaced the stolen firefighting equipment and increased its security measures by deploying more staff through its private security agency.
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Despite the heightened security, the thief made a second attempt to steal more equipment from the same location on Wednesday. However, this time, GMCH’s security personnel were well-prepared. When the suspect tried to execute his plan again, he was caught red-handed by the security team. During interrogation, Kankan Deka confessed to the crime and revealed that he had sold the stolen equipment to two scrap dealers located in the Rupnagar and Ulubari areas of Guwahati.
Acting on the information provided by the thief, GMCH security staff quickly moved to recover the stolen items. Some of the firefighting equipment was found at the scrap dealer’s shop in Ulubari. However, when they visited the scrap yard in Rupnagar, the owner of the shop claimed that the stolen goods had already been sold and offered Rs. 35,000 as compensation in an attempt to settle the matter. Despite the offer, the GMCH staff reported the scrap dealers to the police, and they were taken into custody along with the thief.
Dr. Sarma elaborated on the situation, stating that GMCH had taken immediate steps to address the issue and ensure that the stolen equipment was recovered as quickly as possible. “Our CCTV captured the theft on Tuesday, and based on the video footage, we lodged a complaint. On Wednesday, we replaced everything that had been stolen and intensified security measures at the hospital. The thief returned that day, but this time, our security team was able to apprehend him,” he said. “During interrogation, he revealed that he had sold the stolen firefighting equipment to two scrap dealers. Our staff went to the scrap yards in Rupnagar and Ulubari to recover the items, and some were successfully retrieved. However, in Rupnagar, the dealer claimed the goods had already been sold and offered Rs. 35,000 to resolve the situation.”
The police are now conducting a thorough investigation into the theft and will be questioning the suspects to determine the full extent of their involvement in the crime. GMCH authorities have stressed the importance of improving security measures across the hospital to prevent similar incidents in the future. The swift response by the hospital’s private security and the recovery of the stolen equipment highlight the critical role that effective surveillance and quick action can play in preventing theft in public institutions like hospitals.
