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FIR filed against SP’s Sambhal MP Zia-ur Rehman Barq over ‘power theft’
UPPCL authorities have intensified efforts to curb power theft and encroachment in the Muslim-dominated Deepa Sarai locality since December 13.
Samajwadi Party’s Sambhal MP Zia-ur Rehman Barq was on Thursday booked by the Uttar Pradesh Police for allegedly stealing electricity at his residence in the Deepa Sarai neighbourhood, officials said.
“A case of power theft has been registered against MP Zia-ur Rehman Barq on the complaint of electricity department officials on Thursday morning. The complaint was filed by the officials concerned from the electricity department following an inspection done at the MP’s residence,” Sambhal superintendent of police KK Bishnoi confirmed.
The FIR, based on a written complaint by sub divisional officer (SDO) Santosh Tripathi, assistant engineer (meter) Ashish Kataria, and junior engineers Ajay Kumar Sharma and BK Gangal of the electricity department, claimed that the MP’s 2-kilowatt (kW) connection was illegally bypassed, allowing unauthorised consumption of 16.48 kW of electricity. Section 135 of the Indian Electricity Act (Amendment) 2003 has also been slapped on the Samajwadi Party MP, the police said.
Officials said the inspection was part of an ongoing drive against power theft.
“Our team that raided Zia-ur Rehman Barq’s house in Sambhal discovered that the house was using a load of 16 kW, far exceeding the sanctioned 2 kW across two connections. One connection of 2 kW was registered under the name of his grandfather and late former MP Shafiq-ur Rehman Barq, while the other of was on his own name. Additionally, the meter was found to be bypassed and was showing a reading of zero,” said UPPCL executive engineer of Sambhal Naveen Kumar Gautam.
They spotted the bypass during a Meter Reading Instrument (MRI) analysis.
Notably, the UPPCL authorities have intensified efforts to curb power theft and encroachment in the Muslim-dominated Deepa Sarai locality since December 13. Over 200 cases of power theft have been registered, resulting in penalties exceeding over ₹2 crore.
The drive against power theft has sparked a political storm in the region, with opposition leaders questioning the administration’s motives, while residents of the locality remain wary of further raids.
On Wednesday, the SP MP filed a writ petition in the Allahabad high court seeking a stay on his arrest in connection with an FIR lodged against him over the November 24 violence during protests against the survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal; he also requested the quashing of the FIR.
