Rajkot: In an identical pattern of targeted property thefts across multiple parts of Rajkot, unidentified miscreants broke into several outdoor CCTV surveillance units installed under the Rajkot Municipal Corporation’s (RMC) “Eye-Way Project” and stole 30 industrial backup batteries worth Rs 90,000 since June.Three separate FIRs have been registered across three police stations—A-Division, Pradhyuman Nagar, and Thorala.All three complaints were filed by Smit Jaiswal who works as a project manager for Innovork Company, a subcontractor handling the maintenance of RMC’s Eye-Way CCTV network from the Integrated Command and Control Centre at Nana Mava Circle.The thefts came to light through routine operational monitoring and technician field checks following system disruptions:According to a complaint filed with A division police station, a total of 21 Exide 12-volt batteries, valued at Rs 63,000, were stolen after outdoor unit locks were broken at five locations- Malaviya Chowk (RKC), Jubilee Chowk, Gundawadi, Sanganwa Chowk, and the Bhupendra Road ward office. The first outage was detected on June 20, when 12 batteries were found missing from Malaviya and Jubilee Chowk. A second inspection on Sept 9, 2026, revealed 9 more batteries stolen from Gundawadi, Sanganwa Chowk, and Bhupendra Road.Another complaint registered with Pradhyuman Nagar police station stated that on Sept 9, monitoring teams observed cameras offline at Jam Tower Chowk. A physical inspection revealed broken outdoor cabinet locks and the theft of 6 12-volt batteries valued at Rs 18,000. An FIR was filed on Sept 12.The complaint with Thorala police station stated that around 12 noon on Sept 9, camera feeds went down near the Farooqui Masjid opposite the corporation ward Office on Dudhsagar Main Road. Maintenance staff discovered broken unit doors and confirmed the theft of 3 Exide 12-volt batteries valued at Rs 9,000, which had previously been intact during a check on Aug 11.According to the police across all three jurisdictions, the perpetrators employed the exact same modus operandi: targeting RMC roadside outdoor camera junctions, forcing open or breaking the unit door locks, and systematically removing 12-volt batteries priced at approximately Rs 3,000 each. Rajkot city police officers have initiated formal investigations to trace the unidentified culprits responsible for the synchronized civic infrastructure thefts.
