DERA GHAZI KHAN: As many as 25 villagers, five of them nominated, were booked on charge of attacking a Multan Electric Power Company team in Saddar police precincts during a crackdown against power theft.

Reports said a group of 25 people attacked Mepco officials, held them hostage and shared videos of the torture on social media.

According to a written complaint submitted by one Shahbaz Ahmed Bhatti, the incident took place on Nov 26 during a crackdown on electricity theft. The team discovered that one Ahmed had illegally installed a direct connection using PVC wires. When the team attempted to take action, Ahmed, along with five known accomplices and 20 unidentified individuals, surrounded the Mepco employees, verbally abused them and detained them.

The attackers later uploaded videos of the incident on Facebook. Acting on Bhatti’s complaint, the Saddar police station registered a case under Sections 462i, 342, 353, and 186 of the Pakistan Penal Code and launched an investigation.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2024