Ten riverfront street lights worth ₹1.4 lakh stolen near Gandhi bridge

The theft of ten street lights installed along the Sabarmati Riverfront has come to light, prompting the registration of an FIR at the Riverfront West Police Station against unidentified persons for allegedly stealing public property worth ₹1.4 lakh.

The missing lights belonged to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and were installed on electric poles along the western walkway of the Sabarmati Riverfront near Gandhi Bridge.

The complaint was lodged by Premsinh Rajkishore Chauhan, 33, a security officer employed with Panther Security, an agency engaged by the AMC. Chauhan stated that he has been responsible for overseeing gardens, parks and civic infrastructure on the western stretch of the Riverfront for the past decade.

Chauhan was on a routine patrol late on Thursday night along with security supervisor Pravin Punambhai Jhala and electrician Vinodbhai Prajapati. At around 11.30 pm, while inspecting the walkway near Staircase No. 26 beneath Gandhi Bridge, the team discovered that ten electric pole lights were missing from their designated locations.

The security personnel subsequently carried out a search of the surrounding area but were unable to trace the lights. Preliminary estimates place the value of each light at ₹14,000, taking the total loss to approximately ₹1.4 lakh.

After confirming that the lights had not been removed for maintenance or any authorised purpose, the matter was reported to senior officials of the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation. Following instructions from superiors, Chauhan approached the Riverfront West Police Station and filed a formal complaint seeking legal action against the unidentified culprits.

Police have registered a case of theft and initiated an investigation. Officials are expected to examine CCTV footage from the Riverfront corridor and surrounding areas to identify those responsible for the disappearance of the civic infrastructure.

The incident has raised concerns over the security of public property along the Sabarmati Riverfront, one of Ahmedabad's most prominent public spaces. Authorities said efforts are underway to trace the stolen equipment and determine whether the theft was carried out by a scrap-stealing gang or other organised offenders targeting municipal assets.