Ahmedabad: BSNL officials have approached Navrangpura police after repeated thefts of underground communication cables along Ashram Road disrupted telephone services in parts of Navrangpura, Ellisbridge and Gulbai Tekra over the past few weeks.

According to an FIR filed by a BSNL junior telecom officer, customers first reported dead phone lines on December 21, 2025. Inspection revealed opened cable duct covers and excavated pits near the old Reserve Bank gate, from where two copper cables—1,600-pair and 400-pair, each about 50 metres long—were stolen, causing an estimated loss of ₹2 lakh. Temporary repairs restored services.

The theft recurred on December 31 near a school gate on Ashram Road, where multiple copper cables, including 1,600-pair, 800-pair and 400-pair lines, were stolen, leading to losses of about ₹7 lakh and renewed disruption.

On February 8, fresh damage was detected along the same stretch after fibre cables were cut, triggering a partial system shutdown, though no theft was reported. DeshGujarat