Mob threatens, beats discom staffers over power outrages

The police on Monday booked a group of men for allegedly assaulting and threatening the staff of Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) in DLF Phase-1, following an alleged altercation over power cuts in the area on Saturday evening.

According to the police, the incident took place on Saturday around 7pm when the main accused, a resident of Sikanderpur Ghosi village, came to the DHBVN’s office to file a complaint regarding power cuts.

“He came to our office in an inebriated state and started abusing our staff. He slapped one of our staff members and asked his aides, over a phone call, to come to the office. Later, at least 20 men came and assaulted our staff. When a staff member tried to record the whole incident on his mobile phone, the men deleted the video and broke his phone,” one of the staff members of the DHBVN stated in the complaint. He added that at least seven of the staff members were beaten up. The police said that none of the victims were critically injured.

Ved Prakash, station house officer (SHO), DLF Phase-1 police station said, “The accused men are yet to be arrested. There were no CCTV cameras installed on the premises. The police are investigating the case.”

A case was registered against the accused men under sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code at the DLF Phase-1 police station on Monday, the police said.