FIR Filed Over Canal Water Theft in Punjab
Police have registered a criminal case against 43 individuals from two villages in Punjab for allegedly tampering with canal outlets and stealing water to irrigate their paddy crops. The FIR, however, has raised serious questions after residents claimed that at least seven of those named as accused had died more than a decade ago.
Complaint by Canal Department
The FIR was registered following a complaint by the Executive Engineer of the Harike Canal Division, Water Resources Department, Ferozepur. According to canal department officials, an inspection found that several residents of Sukhanwala and Qilla Nau villages had repeatedly tampered with the authorised design of canal outlets along the Mudki distributary.
Officials alleged that by removing bricks and altering the structures, the accused diverted excess water for illegal irrigation, causing damage to public property and violating environmental norms. Police have registered a case under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Environment Protection Act, 1986, and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.
Deceased Individuals Named in Complaint
On the inclusion of deceased individuals in the police complaint, Gurjit Singh, the concerned Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) of the canal department, said the official complaint submitted to the police was filed against the listed beneficiaries of the alleged water theft mentioned in revenue records. “It is now a matter of police investigation to determine who the actual culprits and the real beneficiaries on the ground are,” he said.
Meanwhile, department sources said the incident was not isolated. Officials alleged that such violations were recurring, with portions of water outlets frequently being demolished to illegally increase their size and draw more water than permitted.
Residents Question the List
“It appears that the department relied on an outdated, decades-old registry of landholders without verifying the current ground realities,” a resident of Sukhanwala village said. “Around seven of the people booked for fresh water theft have been dead for 10 to 12 years. Unless ghosts are actively farming and breaking canal bricks, this list is deeply flawed.”
Sukhwinder Singh, the investigating officer in the case, said the FIR was registered on the basis of the canal department’s complaint and that a detailed investigation was being conducted to identify the actual culprits.
