ACTION PUNJAB NEWS Desk: After the theft of a bridge and a train engine, Bihar’s bizarre thefts continued with the “stolen” of an entire pond. The pond vanished and was replaced by a hut, perplexing the residents of Darbhanga district.
The unexpected appearance of a hut prompted them to call the cops, but by the time the cops arrived, the land mafia – who are accused of filling the pond to take over the land – had fled.
According to locals, the pond was once publicly owned and even maintained for fishing and other activities. However, rising land prices in Darbhanga prompted the mafia to turn their attention to the water body.
Locals had complained to authorities when the pond-filling began, prompting zonal officials to temporarily halt work and seize some items. However, the mafia carried out the levelling work in the dark, until the pond was completely gone.
“According to reports, the pond was filled with soil within 10-15 days. The work was done only at night. Officials had previously visited the location and seized some items,” said Amit Kumar, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO).
