Uttar Pradesh: Electricity Officials Assaulted as Routine Power Theft Inspection Turns Violent in Bijnor (WATCH)

A routine electricity inspection in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, turned violent when locals allegedly assaulted officials probing suspected power theft in Bagdarpur. The team was reportedly forced to delete video evidence, while police have now registered a case.

Electricity officials allegedly assaulted during inspection in Bijnor

Image Credit: X/@gharkekalesh

In a shocking yet increasingly common escalation of hostility toward field workers, a routine power inspection in Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh descended into chaos after locals allegedly turned on the utility team on Friday, September 18.

In a video that went viral on social media, a group of locals can be seen surrounding the electricity department officials, allegedly pushing, abusing, and assaulting them during the inspection. The violent confrontation allegedly erupted after the inspection crew went to document illegal connections and penalise defaulters, forcing local authorities to launch an investigation into the matter.

The locals in Bijnor, especially fueled by rising tensions over strict enforcement drives and mounting penalties, resorted to aggressive resistance and physical attacks to obstruct the authorities from performing their statutory duties.

How Did Power Theft Inspection Turn Violent?

The electricity department of Bijnor has reportedly received a complaint regarding power theft in the Bagdarpur area of Chandpur. Acting on the complaint filed by a resident, a team of electricity officials reportedly reached the area on September 18 to inspect the connections and take action against suspected power theft.

However, electricity department officials’ arrival at Bagdarpur triggered a hostile reaction, with residents aggressively confronting the inspection crew, blocking their path, and escalating the situation into a full-scale physical altercation over alleged unauthorized power usage.

In a viral video, reportedly 20 to 30 men rained heavy blows on the junior engineer and local electricity staff, cornering them on a cot while hurling abuses and preventing them from leaving the premises. The electricity staff were forced to delete video evidence from their phones.

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Following the physical altercation, the police officials arrived at the scene and launched a thorough investigation, registering a formal case against multiple named individuals and unnamed locals based on the complaint filed by the electricity department.

Since officials from the electricity department are government employees, assaulting them while they are on duty attracts stringent legal provisions under the law, including charges for obstructing public servants from performing their statutory responsibilities, rioting, and voluntarily causing hurt.

Inspection Crew Detects a Cut in the Incoming Cable

According to local reports, the inspection crew of the Bijnor electricity department has allegedly detected a cut in the incoming cable, with an additional cable reportedly being used to run a heater in the kitchen and supply electricity to nearby shops.

Knowing there was potential evidence of electricity theft, the officials reportedly began recording the suspected irregularities, which allegedly angered the locals and triggered the violent confrontation.

Apparently, those involved in the alleged power theft reportedly became enraged after the officials documented the irregularities and confronted the inspection team, with the situation subsequently escalating into an assault. A group of people launched an attack on the junior engineer and other members of the electricity department team, forcing them to leave the premises.

Bijnor police have registered a case against six unnamed persons and around 20–30 unidentified people in connection with the alleged assault. One accused has also been taken into custody, while police said further investigation and efforts to identify the other accused are underway.