OKARA, July 18: A police constable was hacked to death while an inspector, a Wapda SDO and a lineman were injured by a group of villagers who turned the tables on the anti-theft squad at Chak 37/D on Thursday.

As part of campaign against power thieves a joint team of Wapda and police raided Saadi Ahmad’s house at Deepalpur’s Chak 37/D. Showing no signs of compunction, Saadi and his family raised hue and cry and attracted villagers who attacked the raiding team.

Constable Muhammad Ahmad, police task force in-charge Inspector Mushtar Ahmad, Deepalpur rural area SDO Liaquat Ali and lineman Irfan Masih suffered injuries. The constable suffered an axe blow on his head and was shifted to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, where he took his last breath. The injured were admitted to the hospital.

A police team dashed towards the village and took five people including Saadi into custody. A case was registered under section 302, 324 of PPC and 7ATA.

KASUR: A Lahore Electric Supply Company team detected direct electricity supply to a Ramazan bazaar. The team also found 31 domestic and commercial consumers stealing power.

The team headed by SDO Ibrahim Hafeez Mufti found Ramzan Bazaar at Kot Murad Khan using direct supply. The police registered a case against contractor Tariq Baggar and also imposed fine on him.

The Lesco team undertook search operation against power thieves at Bhasarpura, Rukanpura, Basti Sabri and Pakka Qila. It awarded detection bills worth more than Rs2 million.

The city and Saddar police registered cases.

A task force headed by Deputy Director Technical Abdul Sattar and SDO Tahir Rao raided Wapda Colony and found a Lesco official involved in power theft. The team found lineman Muhammad Sardar using bogus meter and getting direct supply. It also caught Muhammad Ashraf, bother of EXEN Muhammad Din, with bogus meter.

FAISALABAD: The anti-theft squad detected an underground network being used to illegally supply gas to at least 100 houses and a plastic factory.

The squad unearthed concealed pipes connected with the main gas pipelines at Shadab Colony, Jhang Road where no meter was installed.

Area people told raiding party head Shafiullah, the Saddar assistant commissioner, that they had been paying Rs800 per house to the gas company every month. They said an SNGPL employee was also residing in the area, who might be involved in the racket. They did not disclose his name.

In another case, the squad raided a plastic printing factory at Mansoorabad and found three big gas energised generators being used to produce one megawatt electricity. The factory has been supplying surplus electricity to the area people. Gas meter of the factory has been removed and sent to the laboratory for test.

The SNGPL is also assessing the quantum of gas theft to prepare a detection bill against the factory owner.

MULTAN: Teams detecting power and gas thefts continued their operation.

A team detected massive gas theft at a biscuit factory at Sorij Kund Road. It severed the connection and seized the meter and arrested the factory manager. Its owners made good his escape.

The police registered a case against the factory owners as a meter of 250 cubic feet gas was installed in the factory. Initially, the factory employees held up the team and seized the official vehicles.

The team leader, Farooq Dogar, sent for additional police force which rescued them and arrested the factory manager who was detained at the Qutabpur police station lock-up.

The SNGPL distribution manager told the media that the factory was involved in theft for long and the estimated loss to the department ran into millions.