Bhubaneswar, April 17: Capital Police have arrested two persons for allegedly stealing air conditioner (AC) compressors and copper pipes from the Finance Department at Lok Seva Bhavan.

The accused have been identified as Manoj Kumar Das (25) of Tamando and Chandan Palai (27) of Binjharpur in Jajpur district. Police said several AC compressor parts and related materials were recovered from their possession.

According to a complaint filed by the Deputy Secretary of the Finance Department, as many as seven AC units installed at different locations—including the rooftop, ground floor, Sub-Secretary’s chamber, and library—were targeted. Their compressors and copper pipes were stolen in phases between November 2025 and March 2026, allegedly during maintenance and repair work.

Officials said the suspicious activity came to light after repeated malfunctions of the cooling systems. Security personnel at the Secretariat detained the two suspects, who later reportedly confessed to the crime during questioning.

Based on the complaint, Capital Police registered a case and produced the accused before a court. Authorities said further investigation is underway to determine if more individuals were involved and to assess the full extent of the theft.

Powered by Froala Editor