Bihar: JE held captive for installing smart meter

Patna, Oct 24 A leader of a newly formed party, Rajkishore Chaudhary, misbehaved with the Junior Engineer (JE) of the electricity department and held him captive in Bihar’s West Champaran district on Thursday.

The JE, Rakesh Kumar, along with his team, had visited Chaudhary's residence to replace a malfunctioning electricity meter with a new smart meter. However, the situation escalated into a confrontation, with Chaudhary allegedly pushing the JE and later locking him in a room.

The installation of smart meters has become a contentious issue in Bihar, with opposition parties like RJD and Jan Suraaj expressing concerns about overcharging and alleged unfair billing practices for consumers.

After being released, JE Rakesh Kumar lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against Rajkishore Chaudhary and another individual involved in the incident.

A video of the incident, submitted by the electricity department, clearly shows Rajkishore Chaudhary pushing the JE while they were in conversation, before forcibly locking him up.

Following the incident, the electricity department team left without installing the new meter. Chaudhary, on the other hand, claims that the electricity department began the meter replacement process without prior notice.

The West Champaran Superintendent of Police (SP), Shaurya Suman, confirmed that the video of the incident has gone viral on social media, showing people misbehaving with the JE during the smart meter replacement.

“The JE has formally lodged a complaint against Rajkishore Chaudhary and Sahil Chaudhary for obstructing government work. The police have registered an FIR and are conducting raids to apprehend the accused,” Suman said.

Source: IANS