The pandal of Shanti Bharati in Malda. All pandals would have plunged into darkness had the cable theft been successful. Picture by Surajit Roy

Malda, Oct. 6: An attempt by a gang of around 25 people to steal electricity cables was aborted in Malda district last night after police and power company officials intervened on the basis of a tip-off.

The West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited said had the thieves been successful in the operation, the entire Malda district would have been plunged into darkness for 24 hours.

Unconfirmed reports said three or four gang members were electrocuted while trying to cut the “inter-link trunk” lines of 33 KV sub station at Piyarabagan, about 11km from here.

The villagers said they had seen some bodies being dragged away.

Malda district superintendent of police Satyajit Bandyopadhyay said no body could be traced till late in the evening. “An effort is being made to track the gang. We suspect that the thieves are from the locality.”

Operators at Ghorpir substation informed the divisional engineer around 8.45pm that “the line in the area was tripping frequently” (cutting of supply). Piyarabagn is part of the stretch that comes under Ghorpir substation.

An investigation pinpointed the spot of the “tripping”. Villagers, too, had by that time informed the Ghorpir officials about strangers climbing electricity poles.

The power department officials, along with the police reached Piyarabagan in five vehicles at 9.30pm. The thieves fled when they saw the police, leaving behind 500 metres of high-tension wire that they had cut.

Divisional engineer Dipak Kumar Mondal said his company has suffered a loss of several lakhs of rupees. Wires of the 33KV high-tension lines were stolen from the same area on September 30.

Dilip Hore, another officer of the company, said: “The 25- member gang took advantage of the busy schedule of the electricity department and the police during Pujas.” He added that the line was restored soon.

Mondal said the police had been urged to remain extra alert and intensify patrolling in the area.

Fine on pandals

The power distribution company today slapped a fine of Rs 15,000 each on 15 Puja organisers for hooking electricity for their pandals in Malda town.

The divisional engineer said 464 Puja committees had applied for power connection in the district and 165 of them were in the town. According to him, the committees had deposited Rs 443,875 for the connections.

Mondal said the company has launched a drive against power hooking by the committees, which would continue till October 9.