Top ranking officials personally led early-morning checks in Muslim-majority areas, with officials claiming power theft detections
SAMBHAL — A large pre-dawn search operation by the Uttar Pradesh administration in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal has drawn sharp attention after teams focused almost entirely on Muslim-majority localities, prompting questions from residents about fairness and equal treatment under the law.
The operation, led personally by District Magistrate Dr Rajendra Pensiya and Superintendent of Police Krishna Kumar Vishnoi, began at around 5.30 am on Monday and continued for nearly three hours. Teams from the power department and police entered homes, shops, dairies and public spaces in Deepa Sarai under Rai Satti police station and parts of the Hayat Nagar police station area.
Officials claimed that several illegal electricity connections were found and disconnected during the drive. The administration said unauthorised wiring, overloading and direct connections were detected at multiple locations.
During the operation, authorities also claimed that illegal electricity use was found at the Mustafa Masjid complex and at a house where a dairy was allegedly being run using an unlawful power supply. The administration further said that electricity theft was taking place under the cover of charging e-rickshaws.
“We have clear evidence at several points. Wherever power theft is found, the persons involved will be identified, FIRs will be registered and action will be taken as per law,” an official from the power department said.
District Magistrate Dr Pensiya defended the drive, saying electricity theft harms public revenue and puts extra load on honest consumers. “Power theft causes loss to the government and increases the burden on people who pay their bills regularly,” he said. He added that a similar campaign last year led to savings of around ₹150 crore. “This is not a one-day action. It will continue,” he said.
However, residents of the affected areas said the manner and focus of the operation created fear and a sense of being singled out. Many pointed out that the checks were carried out before dawn and largely in Muslim localities, while other parts of the town were spared.
A local resident from Deepa Sarai said, “Why do such raids always start in Muslim areas and that too at 5.30 in the morning? If electricity theft is an issue, the action should be equal in all areas.”
Another resident added, “We are not saying wrong should be allowed, but the law should look at everyone with the same eye. Why don’t we see such big operations in Hindu-majority areas?”
Local Muslim community members said mosques and religious places should be treated with care and dignity. “Linking a mosque’s name to allegations without completing legal process hurts sentiments,” a community elder said. “If there is any issue, it should be handled respectfully and transparently.”
Rights activists also questioned the messaging of the operation. One local activist said, “When senior officers lead raids only in Muslim areas, it sends a message of bias. Law enforcement must avoid actions that appear one-sided.”
The administration has not clarified whether similar large-scale checks will be conducted in non-Muslim localities in Sambhal. For now, the operation has left many Muslim residents feeling targeted, even as they insist that they support lawful action applied equally to all citizens.
