UP: Authorities crack down on electricity theft in Sambhal

Sambhal (Uttar Pradesh) (The Uttam Hindu): Sambhal authorities early on Saturday launched a raid to crack down on electricity theft, uncovering illegal power supplies allegedly routed from some religious places to nearby areas. The operation, spearheaded by the Electricity Department in collaboration with the District Magistrate (DM) and Superintendent of Police (SP), began at 5 A.M. on Saturday. Sambhal District Magistrate Rajender Pensiya stated that the initial inspection aimed to monitor loudspeaker usage at religious sites to curb noise pollution but revealed extensive power theft.

"Today at 5:00 A.M., we began checking loudspeakers for pollution concerns at religious places, as this has been an issue. Many loudspeakers have been removed, and an arrest was made in this regard on Friday. During this process, we found numerous illegal electricity hooks supplying power to around 250 to 300 houses, including mosques and madrasas," he said. Pensiya further disclosed that a makeshift power station was found on the roof of a mosque, providing electricity to 100 to 150 homes. "An entire roof was transformed into an illegal powerhouse. This has been noted, and the hooks installed along the way will be repaired. Proper estimates will be calculated, and action will continue until Sambhal is 100 per cent free of power theft," he added.

Sambhal SP Krishan Bishnoi elaborated on the findings, saying, "Since 5:00 A.M. today, we have been inspecting loudspeakers at all religious sites, including temples and mosques." "During this inspection, we discovered illegal electricity connections directly linked to poles, transmitting power to entire localities. Over 100 illegal connections were found in a three-hour operation," he said. He revealed that four mosques were found to have electricity wires running from their towers, supplying power to entire localities.

"Investigations are ongoing, and cases will be registered against those involved in this illegal activity. The electricity theft, amounting to crores of rupees, is being addressed by the department. One mosque had a makeshift powerhouse on its tower, supplying electricity to nearby areas. We are also examining whether fees were collected from local residents for these illegal connections," he added. Authorities have intensified efforts to curb electricity theft in Sambhal, which has caused significant financial losses. The crackdown will continue until the region achieves compliance with legal electricity usage, the officials mentioned.