SWABI, July 20: The staff of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited has detected an illegal 700-feet pipeline connection taken from the main Swabi gas line in Shahmansoor, sources told Dawn here on Saturday.

They said that a two-inch pipeline had been laid by an unidentified group who deceived the local people and allegedly took about Rs2 million from the new connection seekers as a bribe.

When contacted, the SNGPL officials said that before any connection could be given to the people they unearthed the case and informed their authorities about the incident.

It has been learnt that a few days ago the people of Jangidher village (Shahmansoor) were approached by a group who told them that they were employees of SNGPL and they could give them Sui gas connections. The people were asked to collect some money for getting gas connections.

“The people who wanted gas connections paid them money and they started laying the pipeline to show that the connection would be provided in Ramazan,” said one of the residents. SNGPL Swabi in-charge Khalid Ali said that they were informed about the occurrence by their field officers. The sources said that when the SNGPL staff approached Zaida police station the police refused to register an FIR against ‘an unidentified group’.

When contacted, police officials said that people had given money to the fraudulent group due to the prevailing practice.