Hostage for a Bill: Electricity Team Attacked in Bareilly
A Junior Engineer and his team were assaulted and held hostage in Bareilly after demanding payment for an unpaid electricity bill.
A routine recovery drive turned into a nightmare for a team from the electricity department in the Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh. In a shocking incident in the Nawabganj police station area, a Junior Engineer and his staff were physically assaulted and held hostage after attempting to collect an outstanding electricity bill.
The Confrontation at Sonkhar Baherod
The incident unfolded when Junior Engineer (JE) Babu Lal, accompanied by contract workers Pushpendra Kumar, Purushottam Kumar, and Guddu Kumar, visited Sonkhar Baherod village. The team was acting on directives from senior officials to conduct inspections and recover pending dues from consumers.
Upon reaching a specific residence, the team identified a consumer who had failed to pay an electricity bill amounting to 34,727 rupees. When JE Babu Lal requested the payment of the overdue amount, the consumer flatly refused, sparking a heated argument between the officials and the resident.
Violence and Captivity
The dispute quickly escalated from a verbal spat to physical violence. According to the formal complaint, the consumer, supported by several other individuals, overpowered the electricity department team. The officials were forcibly dragged into a shop, where they were held captive.
While being held hostage, the team was subjected to a barrage of verbal abuse and physical assaults. The attackers did not stop there; they seized official government documents from the Junior Engineer and issued stern threats, warning the team not to report the matter to the police.
The Dramatic Rescue
Despite the threats and the intimidation, the team managed to secretly contact the authorities using the 112 emergency service. The prompt response from the local police proved crucial. Officers rushed to the scene, intervened in the situation, and successfully rescued the employees from their captors.
During the rescue operation, the police also recovered the official government documents that had been snatched by the assailants.
Police Action Initiated
Following his release, JE Babu Lal approached the Nawabganj police station to file a formal written complaint. He has demanded strict legal action against the individuals who assaulted the team and held them against their will.
The police have officially registered a case regarding the attack and have launched a search operation to apprehend the suspects involved in the crime.