Munish Sood
Mandi
A district vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Rajinder Kumar Bhutto, associated with the Sarkaghat Assembly constituency, has been caught red-handed while allegedly stealing electricity. The action was carried out by the Electricity Department’s flying squad team under the supervision of the department’s Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO), creating a stir across the region.
According to information, Bhutto belongs to Ropdi village in Kashmaila Panchayat and has reportedly been using electricity illegally for nearly the past one year. The department had been closely monitoring the electricity consumption pattern at his premises, as the meter readings showed an unusually declining graph. Despite being eligible for 125 free units, the recorded consumption remained almost nil, raising serious suspicion.
Based on a confidential tip-off, the flying squad conducted a surprise inspection. During the raid, clear evidence of meter tampering and an illegal connection was found at Bhutto’s premises.
Officials imposed a penalty of nearly ₹1 lakh for electricity theft over the last one year, as per departmental rules. The entire procedure was also videographed to avoid any dispute later.
It is reported that Rajinder Kumar Bhutto accepted the penalty on the spot and submitted the amount through a demand draft. Department officials stated that the law is equal for all, and electricity theft will not be tolerated, whether committed by an ordinary citizen or a person holding a political position.
SDO Rajeev Shukla said that electricity theft is a serious offence and the department is continuously keeping an eye on such cases, taking strict action against offenders.
Confirming the matter, Executive Engineer Rajkumar Gupta stated that the flying squad found that the main service PVC wire had been punctured to bypass the meter. The team caught the theft red-handed and imposed a fine of ₹99,977. He further clarified that such surprise inspections will continue in the future, and strict action will be taken against violators without any pressure.
Following the incident, discussions on electricity theft have once again intensified in the area. Local residents said that if such impartial action continues even against influential individuals, the issue of power theft can be controlled significantly.
