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Ludhiana: PSPCL reports ₹1.25-lakh loss after transformer theft, FIR registered
The theft came to light on October 16 when a lineman during a routine inspection informed the area’s junior engineer about the missing transformer
The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has suffered a revenue loss of around ₹1.25 lakh after the theft of a 63 KVA transformer from the Janakpuri area near Cheema Chowk, department officials said. The theft came to light on October 16 when a lineman during a routine inspection informed the area’s junior engineer about the missing transformer.
An FIR was registered in this connection on Monday. The investigation, however, faces hurdles as CCTV cameras installed in the locality were found to be non-functional, say police.
Investigating officer Harpreet Singh said the case was registered on Monday under Section 303(2) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) based on a complaint lodged by PSPCL officials.“The CCTV cameras in the area were not working at the time of the theft, making difficult to identify the culprits. We are gathering local inputs and technical evidence to trace those involved,” Singh added.
Officials said the theft had come to light on October 16 during a routine inspection, when lineman Parminder Kumar informed junior engineer Vijaydeep from the Cheema Chowk subdivision that the transformer installed at Janakpuri was missing. “When I reached the site, I found that the transformer’s gang-operated (GO) switch, which helps in isolating transformers from feeder lines, had been cut and the entire unit was missing. The department has suffered a financial loss of nearly ₹1.25 lakh,” Vijaydeep stated in his complaint.
According to PSPCL officials, the stolen transformer supplied power to streetlights in the locality. A week before the incident, it had developed a fault in the 11 KV feeder line, prompting officials to temporarily shift the load to a nearby transformer to maintain supply. “We had repaired the faulty transformer, but before it could be made operational again, it was stolen,” said an official.
The theft has also burdened the backup transformer, which is now supplying both domestic and industrial consumers, raising fears of overload and possible outages in the area, PSPCL officials said.
