Jolt for LESA drive against power theft as staffers beaten up

Lucknow Electricity Supply Administration’s (LESA) drive against power theft got a jolt on Monday when its ‘checking squad’ was attacked by alleged power thieves with sticks and roads in Lakadmandi area of old Haiderganj.

Executive engineer Anup Saxena said: “A named FIR has been lodged in Sadatganj police station against the attackers, who have escaped. Police are hunting for them. The injured LESA men were treated in hospital and later discharged.”

The LESA squad members were combing the area when they saw the power connections, which they snapped a few days back, restored by the residents.

Junior engineer Susheel Kumar then ordered immediate disconnection and as the powermen started cutting off the power supply, by removing the ‘katia’ connections from the poles, around 20 residents, armed with roads and sticks, attacked them.

Taken aback, the LESA staffers ran away to save themselves. The residents, however, got hold of linesman Mohammed Arshad, who was on a pole removing illegal connection wires, and beat him up mercilessly. Some LESA staffers returned to save Arshad but they too were beaten up.

Meanwhile, LESA officials were informed about the incident and they came there with police force and saved the powermen from the attackers, who fled from the scene.