KOCHI: For police personnel on night patrol, a darkened neighbourhood is no longer something they can simply blame on a power cut. With unidentified persons allegedly tampering with transformers and power infrastructure at several places in recent days, police teams in Ernakulam district are now keeping a closer watch on transformers while passing through areas that suddenly go dark.
“Earlier, if we passed through an area without power, we would simply assume it was a scheduled or technical power cut and continue with the patrol. Now, we will also look at the transformer and check whether the fuse is in place,” a police officer on night duty in Ernakulam said.
The concern has emerged after incidents in Paravur and Tripunithura in recent days. In Paravur, an unidentified person allegedly opened an 11-kV feeder switch supplying the Kottuvally-Kaitharam area, disrupting power supply. Police registered a case in connection with the incident.
In Tripunithura, unidentified persons allegedly pulled out fuses from two transformers on September 16, leaving residents without power for nearly two hours. The removed fuses were allegedly thrown away, delaying restoration. KSEB officials subsequently complained to the police.
Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph told TNIE that the department has taken a serious note of the incidents. “The department has taken a serious note of these incidents. Those responsible for such activities will face stern action, and the police will take necessary steps against them,” he said.
The incidents have made transformers another point of attention during night patrols, particularly in isolated areas where tampering may go unnoticed.
The concern is not confined to Ernakulam. In Adoor, two fuses from the Nedumkulangara transformer at Pannivizha were removed around midnight on September 15, disrupting power supply for about an hour.
KSEB officials found the fuses lying on the road and lodged a police complaint. In Palakkad, eight fuses were removed from a transformer at Thriveni Nagar on September 10 night. Residents initially assumed the outage was part of the ongoing power cuts but contacted KSEB when supply was not restored even after two hours. Police began a preliminary probe and examined CCTV footage.
“Whatever the motive, the person doing it is also taking a serious risk with his own life,” a police officer in Adoor said, referring to the dangers involved in tampering with electrical infrastructure. The incidents have added a new complication for residents facing power interruptions: when the lights go out, they may now have to wonder whether it is the power system or someone deliberately switching it off.