A dawn raid to check power theft incidents in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal has revealed massive irregularities in power distribution in two localities, causing revenue loss of crores to the government, officials said.
The police said that an illegal power house provided electricity to more than 100 houses on the upper floor of a mosque and illegal electricity was found in four mosques, a madrasa and 15-20 houses.
The raid was conducted in Deepa Sarai and Nai Sarai localities by a joint team comprising police, Sambhal district administration and Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation (UPPCL) officials. The raid started at around 5 am and lasted for two hours.
“Unauthorized electricity consumers will face legal action in the case of electricity theft. Officials of the local electricity department have been instructed to find out if the members of the mosque committee have been charging money for illegal electricity supply. They will face the Gangster Act if it is revealed that they took the money,” said Sambhal Superintendent of Police (SP) Krishna Kumar Bishnoi.
We estimate that revenue of crores has been lost due to the large amount of illegal electricity connection. One mosque had 59 fans, one refrigerator and 30 light points while the electricity meter was switched off,” added Bishnoi.
Navin Gautam, UPPCL Executive Engineer, Sambhal, said that they had tried to raid these places but had to give up after protests. “We faced opposition and sometimes violence from the locals. We had to save our lives from time to time,’ said Gautam.
A notice was sent to Samajwadi Party MP Zia ur Rehman Birk
Meanwhile, Sambhal MP Ziaur Rehman Birk, who lives in the area where the raid was conducted on Saturday, was sent a notice four days ago for violating the rules for building a house in Deepa Sarai.
Birk was booked by the police for his alleged role in the violence in Sambhal last month after he was ordered by the Shahi Jama Masjid court.
‘We have given the MP one month’s time. If we don’t get a satisfactory answer for the rule violation, his new house will be bulldozed,” said Sambhal District Magistrate Rajendra Pensia.
‘The land where the new house will be built is not registered in the name of the MP. The plot belonged to his grandfather so legally he should have given me notice. I haven’t received any notification yet,” said Birk’s father Mamluq ur Rehman Birk.
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