20 women booked for ‘rioting’ after protest over inflated power bills in Meerut

Bareilly: Police have lodged an FIR against 20 women under BNS sections related to rioting after they staged a protest at a substation of the UP electricity board in Meerut over inflated bills. The FIR was registered at Civil Lines police station following a complaint filed by an official of UP Power Corp under BNS Sections 191(2) (rioting), 324(4) (causing damage to government property), 324(5) (intentional damage to property), and 221 (obstructing government work). Residents of the Mohanpuri area, under the jurisdiction of Civil Lines police station, have been opposing smart meters. They said they had approached authorities—from the local electricity office to senior officials—seeking removal of the smart meters and reinstallation of the old ones, but to no avail. Left with no choice, residents on Monday took matters into their own hands and uprooted smart meters installed outside their homes. They then carried them to the electricity office and threw them on the floor in protest. SP City Vinayak Gopal Bhosle told TOI, “We have lodged the FIR on the basis of the complaint, and further action will be taken following a probe. If any section is found not suitable in this case, it will be removed.” Chief superintendent Rajnikant Mishra said, “It is possible that they took this step after being instigated by someone. We will ask them to use electricity within the prescribed norms.” BJP councillor from Ward 44, Uttam Saini said, “Several women have sat on a dharna demanding a rollback of smart meters as well as withdrawal of the FIR.”