Discom engineer assaulted during power theft raid

A junior engineer of the electricity department was allegedly attacked by residents of Bhora Kalan village on the outskirts of Bilaspur city on Wednesday, where he and his team went to conduct a raid to check power theft.

A junior engineer of the electricity department was allegedly attacked by residents of Bhora Kalan village on the outskirts of Bilaspur city on Wednesday, where he and his team went to conduct a raid to check power theft.

Police booked seven persons for rioting with deadly weapons, deterring a public servant from discharging duties, causing voluntary hurt and other offences. No one has been arrested. (Shutterstock Image)

35-year-old engineer Ajay Kumar told police in the complaint that he suffered injuries on his back and legs in the attack. Police said he was taken to a local hospital for treatment and discharged later. The injured engineer hails from Rewari district.

Police booked seven persons for rioting with deadly weapons, deterring a public servant from discharging duties, causing voluntary hurt and other offences. No one has been arrested.

Police said the electricity department was aware of the power theft in the village. They formed a team of officials led by the engineer to conduct a raid in the village.

As they reached the village, a group of residents started objecting to the raid, leading to an argument. The engineer told the police that some villagers roughed him up while others hit him on the back with sticks.

“We have booked seven people including one Chailu Ram under sections 147, 148, 332, 353, 186 and 189 of Indian Penal Code (IPC). No one has been arrested so far,” said probationary sub-inspector Praveen Kumar, the investigating officer.

“We have taken the engineer’s statement and will arrest people accordingly for further action,” he added.