Posing as auction buyers, accused dismantled functioning RMU with gas cutter; system tripped automatically, averting electrocution; the trio was unaware that the unit was active and carrying high-intensity current
MSEB officials with police recovered the stolen item. PIC/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The Navghar police have arrested three men for stealing a live 11kV Ring Main Unit (RMU) belonging to the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) from a godown in Mulund East. The stolen equipment, valued at Rs 5.61 lakh, was recovered within five hours of the theft.
The incident took place last week at a godown on the Nahur-Airoli Road. Police said the accused — Yusuf Akram Khan, 25, Ibrahim Akram Khan, 23, and Shahdab Altaf Khan, 22 — posed as buyers claiming they had purchased scrap material through an auction. Instead of collecting authorised scrap, they allegedly used a gas cutter and a crane to dismantle and remove a fully functional 900-kg RMU.
The trio was unaware that the unit was active and carrying high-intensity current. When they began cutting the RMU, the system’s built-in safety mechanism tripped automatically, cutting off the power supply and preventing a possible fatal electrocution. “Had the system not tripped, the accused could have lost their lives due to the high voltage,” investigating officer PSI Sagar Nale told mid-day.
The sudden power disruption alerted MSEB officials. Complainant Prasad Sanjay Mistry, 32, an assistant engineer with the electricity board, rushed to the godown to inspect the outage. By the time he arrived, the RMU had been removed.
One of the accused was found at the spot along with the hydraulic crane operator. Police detained him while the crane operator’s statement helped expose the plan. Meanwhile, the remaining two accused had transported the stolen RMU from Mulund to Saki Naka, where they intended to sell it. Based on the statements from the detained accused, police recovered the RMU and seized the truck used to transport it, valued at Rs 8 lakh, taking the total recovery to Rs 13.61 lakh, senior police inspector Parag Sonawane confirmed.
All three accused have been remanded to judicial custody. Police said the case highlights the serious risks associated with thefts involving live power infrastructure, which not only cause financial losses but also pose grave danger to lives.
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