In a case of theft of public property, ten street lights installed along the Sabarmati Riverfront have allegedly been stolen, leading to the registration of an FIR against unidentified persons at the Riverfront West Police Station.
The stolen lights, owned by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), were installed on electric poles along the western promenade of the Sabarmati Riverfront near Gandhi Bridge. The total value of the missing equipment has been estimated at approximately ₹1.4 lakh.
The complaint was filed by Premsinh Rajkishore Chauhan (33), a security officer with Panther Security, the agency entrusted with safeguarding civic infrastructure along the Riverfront. Chauhan has been supervising gardens, parks and other public facilities on the western stretch of the Riverfront for the past ten years.
According to the complaint, Chauhan was conducting a routine night patrol on Thursday along with security supervisor Pravin Punambhai Jhala and electrician Vinodbhai Prajapati. At around 11.30 pm, the team reached the walkway near Staircase No. 26 beneath Gandhi Bridge, where they noticed that ten street lights mounted on electric poles were missing.
A search of the surrounding area was immediately carried out, but the lights could not be located. Preliminary estimates indicate that each light was worth around ₹14,000, resulting in a total loss of nearly ₹1.4 lakh.
After verifying that the lights had not been removed for maintenance or any other authorised purpose, the incident was reported to senior officials of the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation. Acting on their instructions, Chauhan lodged a formal complaint with the Riverfront West Police Station.
Police have registered a theft case and launched an investigation into the incident. Investigators are expected to examine CCTV footage from the Riverfront corridor and nearby areas to identify those responsible.
The theft has raised concerns about the security of public assets along the Sabarmati Riverfront, one of Ahmedabad’s most visited public spaces. Authorities are exploring all possible angles, including the involvement of scrap thieves or organised groups targeting municipal infrastructure.
Efforts are underway to recover the stolen lights and apprehend the culprits.