Anti-power theft team attacked.

Two persons were injured when a team of Delhi’s power distribution company (discom) BSES checking power theft was allegedly attacked while on inspection in the East district of the capital, the company said on Thursday.

Noting that this was not an insolated incident, a discom release said that a BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd (BRPL) team had also been attacked a few days back, injuring three officials in Jhatikra village in the Najafgargh locality of west Delhi.

“In the latest incident, members of BSES Yamuna Power Ltd (BYPL) network teams were attacked by a property dealer and his goons in east Delhi’s Shastri Nagar, Geeta Colony,” it said.

The BYPL team was attacked while engaged in removing illegal wires from an electricity pole near a house in Shastri Nagar in east Delhi, it said.

“The goons suddenly came out of the shop of a local property dealer and physically attacked them, injuring two. They were joined by the property dealer himself. They not only made a linesman fall down from an electric pole, but also hit his head viciously with a metal equipment, gravely injuring him and had to be taken to a local hospital.

“The local police have apprehended a few suspects in this regard and are questioning them,” the statement added.

In the other incident, a BRPL team was violently attacked by a mob of 50-60 people in Najafgargh’s Jhatikra village, injuring three officials, including the team leader.

The discom said that FIRs have been lodged with the police in both cases,

“Whenever discom teams reach these ‘sensitive’ areas, criminal elements ‘gherao’ them and obstruct officials in performing their duties. Power theft has taken shape of an organised crime and an even more active police support is needed to curb this menace,” a BSES spokesperson said.

During an anti-power theft drive by BSES in July 2017, a young engineer lost his life and four other officials were seriously injured when they were attacked by power thieves in Jhul-Jhuli village in South West Delhi by a mob in Lal Kuan locality of Pul Prahladpur area of the national capital.

The discom said that despite taking several measures, power theft is still rampant in Najafgargh, Jaffarpur, Mundka, Badarpur, Shaheen Bagh, Karawal Nagar, Seelampur, Mandawali, Chandni Mahal, Nand Nagari, Turkman Gate, Yamuna Vihar, Daryaganj and Dallupura areas, among others.[Courtesy:Business Standard]