Mumbai: Reliance Energy recovers Rs 14.63 crore from power looting thieves

All of them were held as part of Reliance Energy's vigilance and enforcement efforts with the police authorities. Their operations have helped in the recovery of 51 tons of illegal wires in 2,900 power theft cases so far

Some of Mumbai's biggest electricity thieves have been brought to book, thanks to a vigilance and enforcement drive undertaken over the past year. Dozens of professional criminals have been booked and arrested across the city through it.

All of them were held as part of Reliance Energy's vigilance and enforcement efforts with the police authorities. Their operations have helped in the recovery of 51 tons of illegal wires in 2,900 power theft cases so far.

A Reliance Energy spokesperson said, "In 2017-18, Reliance Energy registered a total of 200 FIRs against 583 customers — a whopping 66 per cent more than the 120 cases registered against 411 customers in 2016-17 — and recovered a total of R14.63 crore in fines in these cases."

Among the top habitual offenders is one Moin, an illegal power distributor in Gaodevi, Andheri. Three FIRs were filed against him in December 2016 and January and September 2017 under sections 135 and 150 of the Electricity Act, 2003. In Bandra, cops booked another repeat offender, illegal power distributor Sunil Ramchandra Soni in two FIRs — in February 2017 and 2018.

At the Shivaji Nagar police station, cops have booked and arrested Abdul Kayyum Khan, Ibrarali Akbarali Shaikh aka Bhondu, Mannu Patel Kayyum Khan, Shabuddin Idrisi aka Babu Chaddi and Laik Shaikh under sections 3(1) (ii) 3 (2), 3 (4) of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) for power theft.

They are serial offenders who have also threatened to kill officials from Reliance Energy. Apart from this bunch, others active in the area who were also held are Mohammed Akram Aslam Shaikh, Irfan Lighwala and Naushad.

2.9k
No. of power theft cases in 2017-18

200
No. of FIRs registered against in 2017-18

51
Tons of illegal wires recovered in 2,900 power theft cases

Also read: Man gets 2-year RI each in three cases of power theft in Thane

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