The Salem Tabri police booked three outsourced employees of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) on Saturday for allegedly providing an illegal electricity connection to a carpenter in exchange for a ₹60,000 bribe. The case came to light in July following a routine inspection by the power department.
The accused include private linemen Sandeep Kumar and Gurvinder Singh, and nodal employee Sanjeev Bassi.
According to police, the trio illegally shifted a high-tension 11 kV feeder line near a workshop in Gurnam Nagar to facilitate the connection that had been previously rejected by the department.
Investigating officer Manoj Kumar said, “A case has been registered under Sections 316(5), 318(2), and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, based on a complaint filed by sub-divisional officer Shiv Kumar from PSPCL.”
The workshop belongs to Bharat, a carpenter who applied for an industrial power connection under the city west division. His application had been rejected in January this year because the 11 kV lines ran directly above his shop and relocation required formal departmental procedures.
“Following the rejection, the accused allegedly approached Bharat and offered to provide the connection illegally in return for ₹60,000. After receiving the payment, Sandeep Kumar, with the assistance of Gurvinder Singh and Sanjeev Bassi, manipulated the power lines and poles using departmental equipment, giving Bharat the unauthorised connection,” the investigating officer said.
{{/usCountry}}“Following the rejection, the accused allegedly approached Bharat and offered to provide the connection illegally in return for ₹60,000. After receiving the payment, Sandeep Kumar, with the assistance of Gurvinder Singh and Sanjeev Bassi, manipulated the power lines and poles using departmental equipment, giving Bharat the unauthorised connection,” the investigating officer said.
{{/usCountry}}The irregularity was discovered in July when Bharat followed up with the power department regarding his connection. A routine site inspection revealed the feeder lines had been tampered with, and Bharat admitted to paying the accused for the work.
Following the revelation, PSPCL terminated the services of Sandeep Kumar and Gurvinder Singh in July and initiated a departmental enquiry against nodal officer Sanjeev Bassi.
Gurmanpreet Singh, executive engineer, city west division, said, “We have taken immediate action to terminate and investigate the employees involved. Appropriate action will follow based on the departmental enquiry and police investigation.”