Sambhal: An FIR has been lodged against Samajwadi Party (SP) MP from Sambhal, Ziaur Rahman Barq, for alleged power theft at his house in the Deepa Sarai area of Sambhal district.
Electricity supply to the MP’s house was disconnected after the discovery, department sources said. The MP, known to be an active farmer, was allegedly using a power connection illegally.
Illegal power use
The case was registered based on a complaint lodged by electricity department officials, according to Sambhal Superintendent of Police KK Bishnoi. A team from Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL), which inspected Barq’s residence, discovered electricity consumption of 16.48 kilowatts—far exceeding the sanctioned 2-kilowatt connection. The complaint stated that the MP’s meter had been bypassed to prevent accurate recording of power usage.
Barq had two sanctioned connections of 2 kVA each. One was registered under his grandfather and former MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq’s name, while the other was under his own name, UPPCL Executive Engineer Naveen Kumar Gautam revealed. The bypassed meter showed no readings at all, exposing significant discrepancies.
The inspection was part of an ongoing drive against power theft in the Deepa Sarai locality, which has a majority Muslim population. Since December 13, as many as 200 cases of power theft have been registered in the area, with penalties exceeding ₹2 crore.
Previous FIR
This incident follows another FIR filed against Barq for his alleged involvement in violence during protests against a survey at the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal on November 24. Barq has since filed a writ petition in the Allahabad High Court, seeking to quash the FIR and requesting a stay on his arrest.
The protests erupted during a court-ordered survey of the Mughal-era mosque, following claims that a Harihar temple once stood at the site. Barq was accused of inciting the crowd through his speech, which allegedly provoked the violence. However, he has denied the allegations, stating that he was not present at the site during the incident. The case remains subjudice.
Threats allegedly made by MP’s father
Barq’s father, Mamluqur Rahman, along with some of his supporters, was also accused of threatening government officials. Junior engineers Ajay Sharma and VK Gangwal from the power department alleged that Mamluqur Rahman intimidated them, warning of dire consequences if the Samajwadi Party returned to power.
