Ahmedabad: A senior officer of the electricity distribution firm, Torrent Power, filed an FIR with the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) on Tuesday, alleging large-scale electricity theft and document forgery in the Chandola Lake area.
The complainant, Atul Patel, 51, assistant manager with Torrent Power’s Amraiwadi Zone, stated he and his team found illegal electricity connections in multiple locations, including Razab Shethni Chali, Millatnagar, Suryanagar and Nawabnagar. The connections were drawn unauthorizedly from the official power grid to nearby makeshift houses.
Torrent staff, including Prashant Shah, Ankit Patel, Pankaj Chaudhary and Parth Rawal, found that individuals named Rahim Sheikh, Mustafa Diwan and Basir Sheikh were allegedly supplying electricity illegally to several unauthorised dwellings. It was also found that the electricity bills from Torrent Power were being misused to falsely claim ownership or tenancy rights.
The complaint also says that forged rent agreements were created using fake documents, including electricity bills, to establish illegal occupancy of govt land around Chandola Lake. The fraud reportedly involved collecting monthly rent and utility payments from the tenants.
According to the complaint, key individuals named in the alleged conspiracy include Lalabhai and his son Fateh Mohammed Pathan, Ahmad Shekh, Rehana Bibi Pathan and Kusnubanu Shah. They have been accused of electricity theft, creating fake documents and collecting money from illegal tenants.
Torrent Power teams disconnected the unauthorised power connections and removed illegal wiring during the inspection. DCB registered the case under multiple sections of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, including charges related to theft, criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy. Sections of the Indian Electricity Act have also been applied.