A Nashik piped gas contractor has been booked after alleged unauthorised bore-drilling in the Ambad MIDC area damaged an underground electricity cable, causing a reported direct loss of Rs 2.2 lakh and disrupting production at a manufacturing unit.
The MIDC police registered the case on the basis of a complaint alleging that the contractor and a worker carried out bore-drilling on the road outside an industrial unit on November 6 and 7 without obtaining permission or approval from the relevant authorities. The drilling was reportedly linked to piped gas work.
Police booked the contractor under Sections 125, 324(5) and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The provisions cited in the case relate to acts allegedly endangering human life or personal safety, mischief and intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of public peace.
According to the complaint, the drilling severely damaged an underground electrical cable supplying power to the industrial unit. A police officer said the cable damage resulted in a direct loss of Rs 2.2 lakh. The outage also affected the plant’s production line, with the manufacturing unit estimating an additional loss of Rs 3.5 crore.
The incident also led to a confrontation at the site. An officer from the affected industrial firm allegedly questioned the contractor about the unauthorised work and was verbally abused, according to the complaint. The alleged exchange forms part of the case registered by the MIDC police.
Underground utility work in industrial areas requires coordination because electricity, gas and other services may share or cross road corridors. The complaint in this case alleges that the bore-drilling was undertaken without prior clearance, but the police have not yet established the allegations as proven.
A senior officer at the MIDC police station said the investigation was under way. The officer said the contractor would soon be identified and called for inquiry in connection with the allegations. The police investigation will determine the circumstances of the drilling, the permissions obtained, the extent of the cable damage and the responsibility for the reported losses.
