SSGC conducts raids as legal proceedings against ‘gas thieves’ continue

The district and sessions judge of the Gas Utility Court in Karachi West recently dismissed the bail of an accused, name Javed, for stealing gas directly from the mainline and sent him back to jail.

In another case, on the direction of the Gas utility Court’s session judge Larkana, two accused, namely Zohaib Ahmed and Waqar Ahmed, submitted theft claims, in the favour of the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC).

An FIR was lodged against the two accused as per the Gas Theft Control and Recovery Act, 2016, in the jurisdiction of the Agra District Khairpur Police Station for illegally using gas for ice factory.

Meanwhile, in the 4th post-arrest bail application, Allah Muhammad, who was charged with illegal direct connection of gas for running a restaurant, submitted the remaining theft claim towards the final settlement of quantum of loss to the SSGC. FIR was lodged against the accused in Karachi. Three earlier bail applications of the accused were rejected by the court.

In another case, the Sindh High Court (SHC) Larkana Bench confirmed the bail application of accused Irfan Ali Abro after the accused deposited the quantum of loss in the favour of the SSGC. An FIR was lodged against the accused for running an ice factory on the commercial basis through direct gas from the SSGC’s service line.

The prosecution wing of the SS and the CGTO department argued the cases. Three-joint survey teams, comprising the representatives of the company’s measurement, sales, and security services & counter gas theft operations (SS and CGTO) departments, carried out a detailed inspection of some eight factories in Karachi.

Detailed reports are being initiated for necessary actions by the sales, the measurement and billing departments for violations of gas sales agreements, extra connected load and meter size, to be addressed by given timelines.

The technical wing of SS and CGTO team carried out a technical analysis of cyber locks, industrial meters and EVCs as part of the Operation Grift, the Company’s anti-gas theft campaign, in seven industrial units in Karachi’s east zone.

All pre-programmed locks, after reconfiguration were installed and EVCs of three of the units were found malfunctioning. Field activities were created in the system for the measurement departments to rectify faults and process short billing claims.