The traffic signal at the busy Nanjappa junction on Longford Road at Ashoknagar has been rendered non-functional for the past two days as two unidentified men stole four batteries which were supplying power to the signal lights and CCTV cameras at the junction.
Though the theft occurred in the early hours of Thursday, the incident came to light on Saturday when staff from the Traffic Management Centre noticed that the signal was defunct and alerted the maintenance engineer.
Chethan S., an engineer with a private company tasked with taking care of the signal, visited the spot to find that four batteries were missing. Based on his complaint, the Ashoknagar police registered a case of theft and verified the CCTV footage from in and around the area. They found that two men stole the batteries around 4 a.m. on Thursday. The police are trying to track them down.
Recently, similar cases of battery theft from traffic signals were reported from Jayanagar and Basaveshwaranagar police station limits, the police said. In February 2022, the Ashoknagar police had arrested Sikandar, 30, and his wife Najma, 29, residents of Chikkabanavara, for stealing around 230 batteries from signal poles across the city.