SWABI: A 10-year-old boy was electrocuted, while robbers deprived two persons of a motorcycle, cash and other valuables at gunpoint here on Friday, the police and local residents said.

The residents said a 10-year-old boy was electrocuted allegedly due to the negligence of Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) staff in Swabi city.

They said they had informed Pesco officials after an electricity pole short-circuited due to continuing rains near a hujra in Pirankhel, but the officials didn’t remove the fault. They said Hamad Khan, 10, got electrocuted after he touched the pole.

Meanwhile, Tariq Khan, a resident of Jamalabad village, told the city police that two motorcyclists intercepted him when he was going home, snatching a mobile phone, Rs4,000 cash, ATM card and CNIC at gunpoint.

The police registered an FIR against unknown rubbers.

Separately, Fayaz Gul, a resident of Sheikh Baba village, told the Tordher police an armed man snatched his motorcycle at gunpoint.

The police registered an FIR.

ARREST: The police claimed to have arrested a robber and recovered the looted money and other valuables from him on Friday.

SHO Swabi city Ajab Durani said Aqib Khan along with accomplices had snatched Rs80,000 cash, a mobile phone, ATM card and other valuables from Salman Shah of Pirtab village when he was on way home from his shop on February 2.

Also, the police arrested two members of an inter-provincial robbers’ group and recovered some looted money from them.

In November last year, five unknown persons had entered the house of Samandar Zeb of Maneri Payyan, and decamped with cash, jewellery, mobile phones and other valuables. The robbers had also tortured Mr Zeb and his father.

A team led by DSP Swabi Jawad Khan arrested the robbers, Khursheed Khan and Idris Khan of Mardan, and revered Rs50,000 looted cash from them.

The police had also arrested another member of the gang, namely Hilal Khan of Mardan, and recovered Rs200,000 looted cash from him.

STOLEN: Pesco officials said on Friday unidentified thieves pulled down two 100KV transformers from poles in Gohati and Pirtab villages on Thursday night, and took away coils from them.

The officials said thieves had stolen coils worth millions of rupees during the last few months, causing huge financial losses to the company and depriving the consumers of electricity supply for several days.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2023