GUJRAT: Police have booked a former chairman of Jalalpur Jattan Municipal Committee, his brother and 10 others,for subjecting Gujranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco) officials to torture after they unearthed power theft at his (exchairman`s)house.

Two officials of the Gepco raiding team sustained severe injuries at thehandsofattackersand were hospitalised.

None of the suspects could be arrested so far as, according to the police, they secured interim prearrest bails form a court soon after the case registration.

Suleman Khan, Gepco city sub-division assistant manager (operations), in his application to the Jalalpur Jattan city police stated that a company team was on its routinely checking round in Mohallah Dudhu Dhari late in the night on May 19 when the officials found exchairman of MC Hashim Shah stealing electricity through directly connecting a wire to main supply line in the street.

At this, he said, the team confiscated the power meter and electricity cable used for theft. However, ontheir way back the team was stopped at gunpoint by Shah, his brother Qasim, Javed Malik, Qaiser Saleem, Makhdoom, Shahzad and some unidentified people.

He said the suspects subjected the officials to physical torture, resulting in injuries to Ghazan Mahmood and Naveed Asghar. He added that the assailants also snatched the confiscated meter and wire from them and interfered in official work, besideshurlinglifethreats at the team members.

The police have registered a case against the suspects under sections 324,186,353,341and 462 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and started investigation.

Meanwhile, the Gepco team also severed the power connections of some other residents of the area for stealing electricity.

In protest against the alleged attack on their colleagues, Gepco staff later suspended power supply to the area and restored it on Tuesday after more than 24 hours.

Hashim Shah was elected as councillor on the PML-N ticket in October 2015 poll, but later joined the PML-Q to become MC chairman in December 2016.