Six booked for Rs 3.25 lakh power theft in Thane

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Police have registered a case against six tenants of a chawl in Maharashtra's Thane district on charges of power theft of Rs 3.25 lakh, officials said on Wednesday, reported news agency PTI.

Officials of a power supply company visited the chawl (row tenement) at Nadi Naka in the Bhiwandi area for an inspection on January 23 and found the six tenants had drawn power directly from a nearby electric pole with the help of a wire, an official from Shanti Nagar police station said, reported PTI.

It was estimated that the six accused illegally drew a total of 10,699 units of power valued at Rs 3.25 lakh in one year till January 2025, he said.

Based on a complaint by a power supply company official, an FIR was registered on Monday against the six accused under provisions of the Electricity Act 2003, the police said.

Rs 34 lakh IMFL hidden in cement mixer vehicle seized; 1 held

The Maharashtra excise department has seized Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), valued at Rs 34.39 lakh, while it was being smuggled in a cement mixer vehicle in Navi Mumbai, officials said, reported PTI.

Acting on a tip-off, a team from the state excise department laid a trap on Belapur road in the early hours of Tuesday.

At around 1.15 am, officials noticed a cement mixer vehicle reaching the area and intercepted it.

They found 495 boxes of IMFL, concealed within compartments of the vehicle, said Pravin Tambe, superintendent, state excise Thane, reported PTI.

The liquor, manufactured in Goa, was being transported illegally, he said.

The authorities seized the liquor stock and the vehicle.

The vehicle driver was arrested and a case was registered against the transporter involved in the smuggling operation, the official said.

(With inputs from PTI)