Cops caught stealing electricity in Moga, PSPCL recommends FIR
MOGA : On papers, the Focal Point police post here doesn’t have an electricity connection, but cops here enjoyed the comfort of airconditioner in summer and heaters in the winter. The cops stole power directly from the overhead transmission lines through a ‘kundi’ connection to run the appliances.
The theft case came to light when a Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) team led by a subdivisional officer (SDO) Neeraj Piplani raided the Focal Point police post and found that electricity was being tapped illegally directly from the overhead low-tension (LT) transmission lines. The raid was conducted on a tip-off.
PSPCL officials said no electricity meter was installed at the police post and electrical appliances, including air-conditioner (AC), heaters, tube lights, fans, and inverter, were being operated on the stolen power.
Sources in the police department said the police post was not even entitled to install air-condtioner or heater. The team has videographed the raid and confiscated the illegal wires being used for connecting with the overhead wires, after snapping the power connection.
Sources said after the raid, police post in-charge Ram Lubhaya went to the electricity department office, requesting approval to electricity connection. When power officials asked him to sign the ‘theft report’, he left the office with a long face. “We have got information that the cops have again installed the ‘kundi’ connection at the post. We will send a team to check,” power officials said.
SDO Piplani said a report is being prepared to calculate the penalty that can be imposed on the police. A decision will be taken as per the provisions of the Electricity Act. “A letter will be dispatched to the anti-theft police station at Ludhiana for the registration of a first information report (FIR) against the officials concerned,” he said.
Meanwhile, sources said penalty is generally twice the value of power tariff for a period of one year, besides compounding charges ₹3,000 per KW.