The Delhi High Court has dismissed the bail plea of a gig worker accused of stealing a crucial 32-metre-long copper cable from the metro line, observing that the act endangered public safety and caused significant financial loss to the government.
Justice Saurabh Banerjee, in an order dated January 31, underscored that the accused’s conduct went beyond “some foolhardy antics”, instead putting “the life and limb of one and all in utter danger.”
“The applicant herein has been guilty of playing with the lives of the general public,” the court said, highlighting the grave impact of the alleged offence on societal safety and public infrastructure.
The bench stressed that while considering bail, courts must weigh public good against private interest, particularly in cases involving public utility sabotage.
“As the applicant is not guilty of some foolhardy antics, he has no doubt caused immense loss to the public exchequer. All of the above cannot be ignored,” the judge concluded.
The accused, who worked as a delivery rider for a food delivery app, was apprehended near Punjabi Bagh with the stolen cable in the early hours of June 30, 2025. The theft was reported at 2:51 am by Traction Power Control authorities, and the police acted swiftly on the complaint.
He has remained in judicial custody since his arrest in July 2025.
Delhi Police registered FIRs against the accused under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for theft, and also under multiple provisions of the Metro Railways (Operations and Maintenance) Act, 2002 — including sections for obstruction of train operations, sabotage, and destruction of metro railway property.
Opposing the bail, the police informed the court that the accused was a “habitual offender” with a notable criminal history.
Given the nature of the alleged act, its impact on public safety, and the accused’s antecedents, the court concluded that bail could not be granted.
