MSEB employees beaten up as they launch pre-dawn swoop

On Wednesday, unmindful of the fact that houses in Mahada colony comprised of single rooms, officials barged into the houses, creating panic among women who were either asleep or having a quick bath before others in the congested houses woke up.

When a couple of residents protested against the unearthly hour the MSEB officials had chosen, a senior official in the squad threatened to call the police. This was enough provocation for residents to call for friendly neighbourhood help and soon the officials found themselves encircled by an irate mob.

Profuse apologies followed, but it was not until the people hit the officials black and blue that they were allowed to escape. Residents are now demanding to know what steps the MSEB has taken to curb widespread electricity thefts by commercial concerns and industries, where the amount involved could be manifold.

A few residents decided to take advantage of the surcharged atmosphere and directed the ire of the mob towards the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation for its water supply. The area had not been receiving water for the past two days. Some women in the mob broke window panes and furniture in the office. But the AMC official managed to calm them, saying the blame lay with the erratic electricity from the MSEB.