Alert residents of Master Gurbanta Singh Nagar foil theft of transformers

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 21

As many as two persons allegedly involved in the theft of electricity transformers have been arrested by the police.

The miscreants were caught by residents at Master Gurbanta Singh Nagar, Verka Milk Plant. They were trying to steal four electric transformers of 300 KV. A truck was also recovered in which the suspects tried to load the transformers. The incident was reported on Tuesday midnight at around 1am, when a gang of six transformer thieves reached Master Gurbanta Singh Nagar and tried to steal four transformers.

Officials of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) said the thieves had loaded three transformers in the truck and while they were unplugging the last one, it fell down, making a loud thud sound. After hearing the noise, local residents got suspicious and managed to apprehend two accused. The truck, loaded with transformers, was also seized and later handed over to the police.

The locals who had caught the thieves stated that officials that the miscreants were wearing masks and four out of six managed to escape.

SDO Kripal Singh said the Electricity Department would have suffered a loss of over Rs7.5 lakh, if the transformers were stolen.

The officials also stated that there has been a rise in the transformer or copper wire theft cases. The accused were handed over to the Police division number-1 where a case has been registered against them. SHO Rajesh Kumar said investigations were on started to trace the truck owner and other accused.