The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has registered cases against 66 individuals in connection with electricity thefts amounting to Rs 30.73 lakh in rural parts of Thane district, a senior MSEDCL official said on Friday.
The state-run power utility conducted intensive inspection drives over the past two months in Titwala, Indira Nagar, Ganesh Wadi, and Ballani areas, reported news agency PTI.
The official stated that the crackdown is part of MSEDCL’s ongoing efforts to curb power theft and recover financial losses due to illegal electricity connections in rural and semi-urban zones.
“The inspection was conducted by the Titwala sub-division in July and August. During the drive, electricity theft was detected at 66 locations, and 1,21,000 units had been stolen, causing a loss of Rs 30.73 lakh to the MSEDCL,” an official release stated.
The investigation revealed that people were drawing electricity illegally by bypassing meters or tampering with service wires. In many cases, despite having installed metres, the accused were directly tapping into the power supply, thereby violating the norms under the Electricity Act, 2003.
The company has now initiated legal proceedings against 66 people by filing formal complaints under relevant sections of the Electricity Act, the release said.
62-year-old Kerala woman missing after Rs 11 lakh cyber fraud
Police have launched an investigation after a 62-year-old woman went missing from her residence in Kadampazhipuram, in the northern district, days after falling victim to a cyber fraud involving over Rs 11 lakh, officials said on Friday.
The missing woman has been identified as Prema, wife of Balasubramanium of Alangad in Kadampazhipuram, police said.
According to officials, Prema boarded a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus from Kadampazhipuram bus stop around 5 am on September 14 and has not returned home since. She could not be reached by phone.
A missing person case was registered at the Sreekrishnapuram police station on the same day.
During the investigation, police found that Prema had recently been duped in a cyber fraud. She was contacted on Facebook by an unknown person claiming she had won a lottery worth Rs 15 crore. To claim the prize, she was asked to pay Rs 11 lakh as service charges.
Believing the offer, Prema pledged her gold ornaments and borrowed money to transfer the amount into three bank accounts on September 2. When there was no response by September 10, she sent messages demanding a refund. She was then reportedly asked to pay an additional Rs five lakh to receive the prize.
Realising she had been scammed, Prema informed her family and reportedly went into severe distress, police said. CCTV footage has confirmed that she reached Guruvayur.
A detailed probe is underway to trace her, officials added.
(With inputs from PTI)
