Cops spare cops, name none, book ‘police chowki’ for stealing power

MOGA:If it’s not enough to shock you that a police post in Moga was being run on electricity stolen through a ‘kundi’ connection, then here’s a bit more about misuse of power. The case registered for the theft does not name any person but only ‘Chowki, Focal Point, Moga’, in the FIR at under the Electricity Act at the police station in Ludhiana.

Norms say police have to mention accused person/s — even as ‘unidentified’ — while registering a first-information report (FIR) as a case cannot be lodged against a lifeless thing, such as the police post (chowki) building.

Worse, the FIR on Tuesday was registered a month after a team of the Punjab State Power

POLICE POST IN MOGA WAS BEING RUN ON ELECTRICITY STOLEN THROUGH A ‘KUNDI’ CONNECTION

Corporation Limited (PSPCL) led by sub-divisional officer (SDO) Neeraj Piplani, on a tipoff, raided the police post and found that electricity was being taken directly from the overhead low-tension transmission lines. On paper, the post doesn’t have an electricity connection, but cops here were enjoying the comfort of an air-conditioner, besides using tubelights, fans, and an inverter for backup! The raiding team had filmed the raid and confiscated the illegal wires being used for the ‘kundi’.

SDO Piplani said it is only understood that the person who was posted at the building would be liable for the theft. “It is surprising to me that the police have not booked the chowki in-charge (Ram Lubhaya) despite his being was fully aware of the illegal power being tapped in his presence,” he said.

Jai Iqbal, the anti-theft police station in-charge, when asked about not naming any person in the FIR, said, “PSPCL officials didn’t recommend anyone to be booked except the name of building in their letter, due to which initially we have registered the case as such.”

The theft had come to light on February 23, after which PSPCL officials calculated a fine of Rs 3.9 lakh and sent a letter to the police station concerned in Ludhiana recommending registration of the FIR.