KATHMANDU, Jan 22: Police have arrested 16 persons including incumbent and former employees of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) for their alleged involvement in power thefts.
A team of Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD) arrested two NEA technicians, 10 meter readers and four factory owners from different parts of the Capital City on Sunday on the charge of tampering electricity meters and thus causing loss to NEA.
The arrested are Suman Shrestha, 50, of KMC-28, a supervisor at NEA, Balaju and Tahal Bahadur Karki, 56, of Ramechhap, a former maintenance officer.
Likewise, meter readers Mahadev Pradhan,51, of Sarlahi, employed at NEA, Hetauda Distribution Center, Achyut Khadka, 39, of Sindhupalchowk, deployed at NEA, Baneshwor, Bhagwan Pandey,54, of Bhaktapur, former employee at NEA, Bhaktapur and Surya Bahadur Thapa,39, of Lalitpur, NEA, Lagankhel were arrested by the police.
Similarly, Dil Bahadur Saud, 51, of KMC-35, Om Dhungana, 48, of Nuwakot, Shyam Basnet, 50, of Ramechhap, Pradip Sharma, 46, of Nagarjun-1, Thakur Maharjan, 44, of KMC-34 and Manij Shrestha, 49, of KMC-10 were also nabbed for their alleged involvement in the crime.
All of them are employed at NEA Distribution and Consumer Service Directorate, Ratnapark.
Police also arrested Kumar Lama, 32, of Gokarneshwor-13, operator of Manju Shree Water Factory, Indian national Tapan Ghosh, 51, operator of a sweet factory, Indian national Parvez Aalam, 46, operator of a cotton factory and Ramesh Chudal of Morang, operator of Rameshwar Sweets.
The meter readers have been accused of producing bills of less than actual amount and technicians and supervisors of tempering with the meter boxes by breaking seals.
Police investigation reveals that they have been involved in such illegal activities at 20-25 places daily. Police have also accused them of receiving a hefty amount from factory owners on a daily and monthly basis for the illegal acts.
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