TSECL intensifies crackdown on illegal hook-line electricity theft in Tripura, disconnecting thousands of illegal connections, imposing heavy penalties, and warning that power theft risks lives, damages infrastructure, and burdens honest consumers across the state.
The Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) has launched an aggressive statewide campaign against the growing menace of illegal hook-line electricity connections, warning that power theft is not only a criminal offence but also a serious threat to human life and public safety.
In a determined effort to curb electricity theft, TSECL has intensified both awareness drives and enforcement actions across Tripura. The corporation’s vigilance wing has been conducting continuous anti-power-theft operations, targeting areas where illegal connections and meter tampering have become widespread.
According to official data released by TSECL, between April and December 2025, vigilance teams disconnected as many as 6,547 illegal hook lines across the state. During the same period, a total of 11,401 electricity meters were inspected, and irregularities were detected in 1,357 cases. These findings highlight the alarming scale at which electricity theft had been taking place, undermining both safety and system stability.
The enforcement drives resulted in penalties amounting to Rs 2 crore 92 lakh 38 thousand 750 for offences related to hook-line theft and meter tampering. Of this total amount, Rs 2 crore 50 lakh 18 thousand 697 has already been recovered by the corporation. Additionally, arrear electricity bills worth Rs 16 lakh 9 thousand 127 were collected during these operations, further reflecting the financial damage caused by illegal power usage.
The crackdown has continued with even greater intensity in the new year. Between January 1 and January 8, 2026, TSECL vigilance teams detected and disconnected 144 illegal hook lines across Tripura. During this short period, 233 meters were checked, and electricity theft was confirmed in 12 cases. Penalties worth Rs 7 lakh 55 thousand 600 were imposed, of which Rs 7 lakh 20 thousand 562 has already been realised.
A major operation was carried out on Thursday, January 8, 2026, when a special vigilance drive was conducted in Agartala’s South Ramnagar and Joypur areas. During this operation, teams disconnected 14 illegal hook lines and seized several appliances that were being operated through stolen electricity. The seized items included eight refrigerators, four televisions, two motors, three fans, one rice cooker, and two mixer grinders. A penalty amounting to Rs 85,000 was recovered on the spot.
TSECL officials have expressed serious concern that despite repeated warnings, the practice of using illegal hook lines continues unabated in some areas. At a time when the corporation is moving steadily towards green energy adoption, a safer power ecosystem, and a modern electricity grid, such unlawful activities are pushing the state’s power system into a high-risk zone.
What many consumers perceive as a shortcut to save a small amount on monthly electricity bills is, in reality, a life-threatening practice. According to TSECL, illegal hook lines have repeatedly resulted in fatal accidents. Exposed wires, loosely drawn connections, and the use of electricity in unsafe conditions, particularly during rainfall, create deadly hazards.
Officials have stressed that drawing electricity through hook lines or tampering with meters is not merely a legal violation. In several documented cases, these practices have directly led to deaths due to electrocution. Individuals attempting to install or dismantle illegal connections have lost their lives, turning what seems like a minor offence into a tragic loss for families.
The consequences of electricity theft extend far beyond individual households. TSECL faces massive financial losses every year due to illegal consumption, increased system losses, excessive load on the grid, and repeated damage to infrastructure. Ultimately, the burden falls on honest consumers who pay their electricity bills regularly. In effect, law-abiding citizens end up subsidising power thieves.
Issuing a strong warning, TSECL has stated that using electricity through hook lines is a gamble with life. A temporary saving today can lead to irreversible tragedy tomorrow. The corporation has urged all consumers to use electricity only through authorised connections and to avoid any form of meter tampering.
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TSECL has also appealed to responsible citizens to report cases of power theft whenever they notice illegal connections in their neighbourhoods. Electricity theft, officials emphasised, is not just an individual wrongdoing but a drain on the state’s resources and a collective social problem.
Preventing the menace of illegal hook lines, TSECL said, requires awareness, courage, and collective action from all sections of society. Only through cooperation between the utility and the public can Tripura move towards a safer, more reliable, and sustainable power future.
