In the Samruddhi Expressway steel fraud case, police have revealed that the racket was driven by hacking and tampering with the weighbridge system. The accused allegedly used digital tools to manipulate weight records and allowed tonnes of steel to be stolen without detection. Investigators say, the operation was carefully planned to appear genuine on paper, with absconding accused Shahbaz playing a key role in executing the high-tech fraud. According to Parbhani Police officials, trailers loaded with steel from the SAIL plant in Butibori were supposed to travel directly to Parbhani. However, instead of following the designated route, the vehicles were diverted nearly 50 km away to Kalamna, near the office of Balaji Enterprises.

 

“At Kalamna, the trucks were first taken to private weighbridges, locally known as Patidar Kaata and Superway Kaata, where their weight was recorded,” said API Sudhakar Khaje, investigating officer of the case. Police said, the trucks were then moved to a shed in the Yashodhara Nagar area, located barely 100 metres from the local police station. “Inside the shed, around 8 to 10 tonnes of steel was removed from each trailer,” the officer added. After unloading part of the material, the trucks were again taken to the same weighbridges to measure the reduced weight. This helped the accused confirm how much steel had been stolen before sending the vehicles onward to Parbhani. “The main fraud happened during the official weighing process.

 

The prime accused, Shahbaz, would arrive in a Thar SUV, disguised as a driver. He is suspected to have used a digital device to tamper with the weighbridge system,” another official said. By manipulating the data, the accused ensured that the recorded weight matched the original load, hiding the theft. “The minus weight was managed so cleverly that it appeared normal in the records,” police said. Teams have been formed to trace Shahbaz and identify other accused involved. Further investigation is on.