Kanpur: Maharajpur police arrested three members of a gang involved in stealing diesel from trucks parked along highways on Thursday, while two suspects remained absconding.Police identified the men arrested as Maharajpur resident Deepak Singh, Narwal resident Saurabh Singh and Himanshu Singh of Mavaiya village in Maharajpur. They recovered seven motorcycles, an SUV, three country-made pistols and 22 cartridges.Additional police commissioner (headquarters) Sankalp Sharma said police teams had been deployed following repeated reports of diesel theft from parked trucks. Acting on specific information, police caught the three near the highway.During questioning, the accused said they stole diesel from parked trucks and dumpers in Kanpur, Kanpur Dehat, Auraiyya and Etawah districts.Sharma said the gang roamed highways at night, targeting heavy vehicles parked near dhabas and in deserted areas, before selling the stolen diesel for a lesser price in rural areas.DCP East Satyajit Gupta said Deepak faced four cases, Saurabh six and Himanshu two, in different police stations.ADCP Shiva Singh said police were investigating whether the recovered vehicles were stolen. The gang carried weapons during thefts and fired in the air to escape when caught. Police were questioning the arrested men about their absconding associates.
