6 persons booked for stealing water worth over 73 crores
According to the complaint, the accused were stealing water from wells dug inside the compound of Pandya Mansion in Kalbadevi without necessary permits (Representational Image, Courtesy: Newlinkroad’s Blog)
In a major case of water theft, Police have booked six persons who allegedly stole water worth Rs 73.18 crore from two illegal wells in Mumbai’s Kalbadevi area.
Azad Maidan police registered an FIR following a complaint from Sureshkumar Dhoka, who told officials that water was being stolen from wells dug inside the compound of Pandya Mansion without necessary permits.
The owner of the mansion, Tripuraprasad Pandya, was allegedly drawing water illegally and selling it through water tanker operators. Pandya had even obtained illegal electricity metres to draw water through pumps.
Readings of these illegal metres revealed that between 2006 and 2017, the accused had allegedly stolen lakhs of litres of water worth Rs 73.18 crore.
According to officials, the complainant has collected all the information related to these wells through the Right to Information Act.
Azad Maidan police have booked Tripuraprasad Pandya, his son Prakash Pandya, his relative Manoj Pandya and tanker operators Arun Mishra, Shrawan Mishra, Dhiraj Mishra and other concerned persons under sections 379 (theft) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
Further investigation in the matter is underway.
