The Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) has released details of prominent figures apprehended during its operation against electricity thieves.
Under the supervision of LESCO's Chief Executive Engineer Shahid Haider, a non-discriminatory operation against electricity thieves is underway in LESCO's fifth district.
According to LESCO spokesperson, former assembly member Mehar Saeed Zafar Padhiar was found involved in electricity theft, and he has been charged with 250,000 rupees on 8,620 units.
In addition, local president of Muslim League (N) Sofia Saeed was also implicated in electricity theft. The culprits caused a loss of one lakh rupees to LESCO by bypassing the meters. Legal action has been initiated against the accused. (Continued) People's Party senior leader Aziz ur Rahman Chan was found involved in electricity theft amounting to 61 crore rupees. Aziz ur Rahman Chan's electricity connection has been disconnected, and his ownership of a cold storage facility has been seized.
Raza Shah, the son of former prominent chairman Mian Masood Hussain Shah, was also apprehended for electricity theft, and LESCO staff removed wires at the scene. Raza Shah has been charged 155,203 rupees on 2,404 units in the detection bill. Dr. Aamir Saleem of M.S. Ganga Ram Hospital and his wife Dr. Farzana Saleem were involved in electricity theft at a private clinic.
According to LESCO's spokesperson, a well-known gang named Arshad Khokhar was also found involved in electricity theft, and they have been charged with 1,400,000 detection bills. Further investigations revealed that Arshad Khokhar was already on LESCO's list of dead defaulters with a liability of 850,000 rupees, which he had not paid to LESCO.
Former Administrator Chunian Riaz Hussain Jangooa's son Ali Aqil Jangooa and Ali Aabid Jangooa were caught red-handed committing electricity theft. Ali Aqil was stealing electricity through a connection to LESCO's main light transmission line via a hook, causing a loss of 180,000 rupees to the national treasury. LESCO authorities disconnected the illegal connection and confiscated the wires used in the theft.
A case has been registered against the accused at Chunian City police station. Former assembly member Nadeem Bara's brother Malik Jhangir Bara was involved in electricity theft in Ali Razaabad Subdivision of LESCO. He was tapping into the light transmission line and stealing electricity using a bogus meter. The culprit was supplying electricity to 80 houses through theft.
He also owed LESCO 2.7 million rupees, and an additional 1.5 million rupees in penalties were imposed on him. Similarly, during a search operation in Sarfraz Nagar Subdivision of LESCO, during the arrest of a notorious electricity thief, Peer Hassan Ahmed Shah, a sum of fifteen lakh rupees was recovered as a penalty.