10 arrested, 38 booked for power theft

LAHORE:The Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) has detected a total of 68 connections from where the customers were pilfering electricity in all its circles of five districts: Lahore, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Kasur and Okara, on the 59th day of grand anti-power theft campaign.

A Lesco spokesman told the media on Monday that the company had also submitted the FIR applications against 68 electricity thieves, out of which 38 FIRs have been registered in respective police stations, while 10 accused have been arrested.

On the 59th consecutive day (Nov6) of the anti-power theft campaign, the spokesman added, large commercial consumers were also found involved in electricity theft and all of them were also disconnected and charged with detection units.

Among the seized connections 03 were commercial, 2 agricultural, 1 industrial and 62 domestic, and all these connections were disconnected and charged with a total of 80,185 units as detection bill amounting to Rs 3.209 million.

Apprising the media about some major power pilferers, he explained that Lesco charged Rs250,000 detection bill against 2,969 units to an electricity pilferer in Kot Radha Kishan area; Rs195,540 fine in the form of detection bill against 3,050 units to a customer stealing electricity in Narang Mandi area; Rs 165,500 detection bill against 2,896 units to another power thief in Manga Mandi area Raiwind; and Rs164,700 detection bill against 2,740 units to a power thief also in Maqboolpur Miani area.

During the 59 days of grand anti-theft campaign, the spokesman mentioned, the Lesco detected pilferage on 23,786 power connections and submitted 23,547 FIR applications against electricity thieves in the relevant police stations out of which 22,683 FIRs have been registered, while 11,882 accused have so far been arrested by the police.