A man in his mid-30s was arrested at his RG Kar Road residence on Sunday for allegedly running a power supply network in the area by pilfering electricity from CESC.

After interrogating Rajen Sonkar, police claimed that he had been pilfering power for several years and had earned lakhs by doing so.

CESC officials had tipped off police about the illegal power supply network. “Our vigilance wing found that Sonkar was stealing electricity worth Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh per month and selling it to shopkeepers in two Shyambazar markets,” said a senior CESC official.

According to police, Sonkar used to charge about Rs 100 per month from each trader of Amiya Babur Bazar and on RG Kar Road.

“A section of employees in the local CESC office helped Sonkar run his illegal business. We are in the process of identifying the staff members. Stern action will be taken against them,” stated the CESC official.

“Sonkar used to dig up roads and pilfer power from our underground cables with help from experts,” he added.

A contingent from Tallah thana carried out the arrest. A police officer said: “Sonkar couldn’t have operated the network alone. We are looking for his accomplices.”