Hubballi Heist: 26 Arrested in Labor Department Laptop Theft Case

Hubballi: The Old Hubballi police have successfully solved a laptop theft case by arresting 26 individuals, including six staff members from the city’s labor department. Authorities recovered 83 laptops valued at approximately ₹45 lakh, along with one car, two autorickshaws, and two bikes, resulting in a total seizure worth ₹60 lakh.

HP company laptops, were intended for free distribution to the children of laborers in Haveri district and had been stored in the labor department’s office in Hubballi near Chaitnya Nagar. Out of the 250 laptops, about 101 were reported stolen, and the issue recently came to light.

During the investigation, police interrogated several suspicious individuals, leading to the identification of Deepak and Krishna from the labor department as key players in the theft. Six staff members, working on a contractual basis, participated in the crime, stealing the laptops over a six-month period by accessing the office through a window. The accused sold the laptops incrementally to around 20 people for prices ranging from ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 each.

Police Commissioner N. Shashikumar stated that efforts are ongoing to recover the remaining stolen laptops.

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