Bihar: Inquiry ordered into energy department staff detention

PATNA: Nawada superintendent of police Hariprasath S has ordered an inquiry into an alleged detention of contractual switch board operator (SBO) Mantu Kumar of energy department at Kauwakol police station on Thursday for disconnecting the power supply to the premises over non-payment of Rs4.65 lakh bill, Pakribarawa SDPO Mukesh Kumar Saha told TOI on Friday.

“I will be able to tell anything only after getting the details,” Saha, who is conducting the inquiry, said.

Sources said the matter came to light after recording of an alleged heated telephonic conversation between Kauwakol’s junior electrical engineer Dharmendra Kumar and SHO Mukesh Kumar surfaced. Dharmendra is heard asking why Mantu was detained while Mukesh allegedly asked him how dare he disconnect the power supply to a police station without notice and heard hurling abuses. TOI doesn’t verify the call recording.

When contacted, Nawada executive electrical engineer Ravi Aryan said the incident took place on Sunday. “Mantu was detained for at least two hours as he had disconnected the power supply to Kauwakol police station,” Aryan said and added that he had acted on the direction of Dharmendra.

“He was set free only after senior police officers, including the SPDO, were requested to intervene,” Aryan said. He said an energy bill of Rs4.65 lakh is pending for payment against Kauwakol police station.

“It is due to the huge pending bill that the junior engineer had ordered him to disconnect the power supply. An SBO’s job is to switch on and off power supply on the direction of his seniors,” he said.

Aryan said senior police officers have assured them to clear the energy bill. “However, it was a verbal assurance,” he added.