Chandrapur police detain man over theft of four ventilators from Adilabad hospital

The Local Crime Branch of Chandrapur has detained a suspect in the theft of four ventilators from a government hospital in Adilabad, Telangana. According to police, the four devices are worth about Rs 20 lakh in all. The suspect was picked up from the Anchaleshwar Ward area of Chandrapur and handed over to a Telangana police team for further investigation.

The theft took place on October 30, 2026. The Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Adilabad is a government hospital. Four costly ventilators were reportedly stolen by an unidentified person from its RICU, SARI and TB wards. Each ventilator is said to be worth about Rs 5 lakh. The disappearance of such expensive equipment had caused alarm in medical circles and the administration.

A case was registered at the Adilabad-II Town police station under Section 303(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.

Given the seriousness of the matter, the office of the Chandrapur Superintendent of Police and the Local Crime Branch began their own technical and confidential investigation. CCTV footage from the spot and surrounding area was examined closely. Police also received firm information from confidential sources that the suspected accused was hiding and living in the Anchaleshwar Gate area of Chandrapur city.

Once the information was confirmed, the Local Crime Branch team immediately laid a trap in the Anchaleshwar Ward area and detained Sajjan Vasant Mote. He is said to be 45 years old and a resident of Anchaleshwar Ward, Chandrapur.

He reportedly confessed to stealing the ventilators from RIMS hospital during strict questioning by police. After his identity was confirmed and the paperwork completed, Chandrapur police handed him over to a special police team that had come from Adilabad, Telangana. Telangana police will now carry out further investigation and are also responsible for recovering the stolen property.

The operation was carried out under the guidance of Chandrapur Superintendent of Police Ayush Nopani and Additional Superintendent of Police Ishwar Katkade. The team was led by Police Inspector Amol Kachore of the Local Crime Branch. He was joined by Assistant Police Inspector Yogesh Hiwase, Sub-Inspectors Vinod Bhurle and Sunil Gaurkar, Head Constables Satish Awathare, Imran Khan, Sandeep Kamdi, Hiralal Gupta and Lalu Yadav, and police personnel Shashank Badamwar and Kishor Wakate. The success of Chandrapur police in catching a suspect in a case linked to another state is being seen as significant.