HYDERABAD: Three employees of the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) suffered injuries when they came under attack by a group of ‘power defaulters’ near Syed Abdullah Shah Institute of Medical Sciences during the company’s drive against power pilferage in Sehwan, on Wednesday.

A spokesman for Hesco said in a statement that test inspector Mohammad Soomar Hajano, line superintendent Iftikhar Shah and lineman Fida Chandio were injured when they were attacked by miscreants with sticks and other objects.

They were part of the team which was led by Hesco Kotri executive engineer Munir Ahmed Panhwar and a judicial magistrate, he said.

He said that around Rs1.25 billion were to be recovered from power consumers of Hesco Sehwan subdivision in Jamshoro.

When the team cut off 20 connections of defaulters and disconnected 120 questionable ones, the team was attacked, he said.

Victims were checking power pilferage in Sehwan

The injured were shifted to hospital by the XEN and Hesco chief Roshan Otho was informed about the incident, he said.

The spokesman said that the anti-power theft campaign continued across the region under directives of federal ministry of power.

The Sindh government was onboard in this regard and recovery magistrate and police accompanied Hesco teams during the campaign, he said.

He said the Hesco spoke to Hyderabad division commissioner and DIG Hyderabad range regarding the incident and urged him to ensure arrest of the culprits while providing protection to Hesco teams.

An FIR had been lodged about the incident on a complaint filed by Hesco Sehwan SDO Noor Hassan at Sehwan police station under Sections 353, 506/2, 147, 148, 149, 337H2, 337-AI PPC, he said.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2024