Power employee ‘manhandled’ during enforcement drive, dies

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 17 

A substation attendant of the UT Electricity Department died under mysterious circumstances today.

It is alleged that the employee, identified as Harwinder Singh, died after being thrashed by people in Sector 25 where he, along with his colleagues, had gone to snap the power connections of the households that defaulted on payment of bills. The victim though didn’t have any injury mark on the body.

MP Singh, Superintending Engineer (SE), Electricity Department, said a team of the department, along with the area SDO, had gone to Azad Colony for the enforcement drive. 

Local residents started protesting in a bid to prevent the power employees’ action.

It is alleged that the victim was thrashed by the protesters, following which he fell unconscious. 

He was rushed to the PGI where he died.

In a press release, the UT police claimed that employees of the Electricity Department neither took any police protection nor did they inform the police department before visiting the colony. 

Police officials claimed that during preliminary investigation, no apparent injury mark was found on the victim’s body. They stated that they were looking for witnesses and CCTV cameras, if any, installed near the spot.

The FIR will be registered after recording the statements of other officials of the Electricity Department, who were present at the spot when the incident took place, the police said.

A Medical Board will conduct the post-mortem examination. Meanwhile, an investigation into the incident has been initiated by officials at the Sector 11 police station. Sources said cops questioned a few local residents in this connection