The Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) carried out a major crackdown on electricity theft in the Roorkee region, where its vigilance team detected around 160 cases of illegal power use across five villages. FIRs have been lodged against the accused at the concerned police stations, triggering unrest across the Roorkee electricity distribution division.
Acting on rising complaints of power theft in Roorkee, Manglaur, Jhabreda, Kaliyar and surrounding areas, the vigilance team launched a large-scale early morning operation on Wednesday. Teams reached Ghodewala, Margubpur, Bhouri Dera, Behdeki and Belda villages with police support. The sudden arrival of vigilance officials caused panic among villagers, with several residents seen climbing rooftops to remove illegal cables connected to overhead power lines. During the inspection of houses, shops and commercial units, nearly 160 cases of electricity theft were detected.
The team seized meters and illegal wiring from the sites and sealed them as part of the evidence. The operation also sent shockwaves across nearby areas within the distribution division. Executive Engineer (Urban) Anil Kumar Mishra said that the raid was conducted under the leadership of Vigilance Assistant Engineer Dhananjay, and strict legal action has been initiated against those involved in power theft.
During the drive, several villagers reportedly contacted local public representatives in an attempt to halt the action. Officials involved in the operation received continuous calls from political figures throughout the day. Despite this pressure, the vigilance and UPCL teams continued their campaign against electricity theft without interruption.
The early morning raids, backed by heavy police deployment, led to further panic as teams inspected homes, shops, flour mills and other establishments. Fearing detection, many residents locked their houses and fled the villages. UPCL officials revealed that the department is disconnecting over 100 defaulters daily, and some consumers had illegally reconnected power lines after disconnection. Prior intelligence about such activities helped the vigilance team plan coordinated raids across multiple villages.
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As the operation progressed, villagers in affected areas reportedly alerted relatives in neighbouring regions, sharing information about the vigilance routes and inspection areas. Throughout the day, residents in Roorkee, Manglaur, Kaliyar, Dhanauri and Jhabreda remained on edge as the enforcement drive continued.
