Islamabad Bar Council’s vice president held for power theft

FIA task force official says the raids against electricity thieves will continue in the coming week.

ISLAMABAD:

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) conducted multiple raids against electricity theft and arrested more than six people, including the vice president of the Islamabad Bar Council (IBC).

The FIA’s special investigation team led by additional SHO Crime Cell Khobaib Baloch carried out these raids over the last week and arrested Muhammad Ismael Baloch from his house in sector G-15/2 in Kashmir Town.

The IBC vice president had been stealing electricity through a cable directly from a transformer near his house.

“It was an underground cable that had been hidden. It was a 3-storey house with air conditioners installed at every storey,” said FIA Inspector Baloch. He added that Ismael never applied for an electricity connection for his 10-marla house.

The arrested bar council member told the FIA team that he had never gotten an electricity meter installed at his house. Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) immediately fined him Rs70, 000 while he was booked for electricity theft before being handed over to FIA team for further investigation. If convicted, the IBC vice president may face three years in jail.

The FIA team raided a house in Tarnol area in the outskirts of Islamabad and arrested Muhammad Sadiq. He owned six houses, which were rented out besides the one he was living in. Sadiq was stealing electricity directly from Islamabad the IESCO power cables through kunda.

Earlier this week, the FIA team raided a privately-owned commercial plaza in the city outskirts area of Pindorian.


Published in The Express Tribune, August 4^th, 2013.