Based on his alleged admission, police said they arrested Prince Sharma and, on their disclosures, recovered 18 stolen batteries. (PTI Photo)A CCTV camera installed at a private premises helped the Jammu and Kashmir Police bust an organised gang of burglars allegedly behind disruptions in traffic signals and CCTV surveillance at at least four major crossings in Jammu city over the past few days.Two accused—Himanshu Gill alias “Badaa Prince” and his associate Prince Sharma—have been arrested, while a third, Deepak, remains absconding. Police have recovered 18 batteries stolen from surveillance equipment installed by Jammu Smart City Limited.Deepak, who allegedly moved door to door collecting scrap, is said to be the kingpin of the gang. An auto used in the thefts has also been seized.Officials said that last month, traffic signals at Asia Chowk, Bikram Chowk, Amphalla and Parade stopped functioning one after another. CCTV cameras at these crossings also went blank.Initially, Smart City officials monitoring the closed-circuit television network (CCTN) suspected a technical snag. However, upon visiting the sites, they found batteries and other vital equipment missing.On February 28, a complaint was lodged with the police, who registered a theft case at Gandhi Nagar Police Station.Acting on the complaint, a dedicated police team led by Inspector Jaipaul Sharma, SHO of Gandhi Nagar Police Station, was formed. Using a combination of technical surveillance, CCTV footage analysis and human intelligence, the team apprehended Himanshu Gill alias “Badaa Prince” and Prince Sharma.Story continues below this adA police official said the accused removed batteries at night during power curtailment to avoid detection by CCTV cameras.The breakthrough came when police, while examining footage from a camera installed outside a private premises, spotted an accused in an auto coming from the Bikram Chowk side around the time the CCTV cameras had gone off.As Himanshu, allegedly a habitual offender, already figured in multiple FIRs across police stations in Jammu and adjoining districts, the investigating team picked him up for questioning. To confirm his involvement, his mobile phone location was also traced to the theft sites.Based on his alleged admission, police said they arrested Prince Sharma and, on their disclosures, recovered 18 stolen batteries.Story continues below this ad“This successful operation underscores the effective integration of modern technology with proactive policing,” police said, adding that further investigation is underway to identify additional associates and recover remaining stolen property.