Frustrated over power cuts, man turns violent at KSEB office in Kochi; police register case

Kochi: Frustration over alleged repeated, unannounced power cuts led to tense scenes at the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) office in Kunnumpuram, Fort Kochi, late on Thursday night, after a man allegedly entered the office premises, confronted employees on duty and damaged property. Fort Kochi police have registered a case and are attempting to identify the suspect using CCTV footage and videos that surfaced on social media.

According to the police, the incident occurred around 11 pm on Friday. Officers reached the KSEB office soon after receiving information about the incident. A case was later registered based on the complaint of the Assistant Engineer of the KSEB Electrical Section, Fort Kochi.

According to the FIR, the man entered the office while emergency staff and a lineman were on night duty. During the confrontation, he allegedly damaged flower pots, prevented employees from carrying out their duties and threatened them. He also allegedly answered calls made to the office’s official phone line and used abusive language while speaking to callers, disrupting the office’s emergency response. Before leaving he even destroyed two flower pots placed in front of the office by smashing it on the ground.

Videos of the incident that have gone viral show the man expressing anger over recurring power cuts. “According to the KSEB employees, the man said that his family, including young children, had been struggling through the night without electricity in the heat and mosquito-infested conditions. He repeatedly demanded that officials restore power immediately, claiming outages had occurred multiple times in his locality. He was frustrated as the officials reportedly did not pick up his calls, forcing him to come to the office,” said police sources.

The police said the man has not yet been identified. “We are examining CCTV footage and the videos that have surfaced to establish his identity. Further investigation is in progress,” an officer said.

The incident has drawn mixed reactions online. While many criticised the man’s actions inside the government office, others pointed to the growing public frustration over prolonged and unscheduled outages across parts of Kerala.

The police have registered a case under sections 329(4) (criminal trespass), 132 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging duty), 296(b) (use of obscene or abusive language), 351(2) (criminal intimidation) and 324(4) (mischief causing damage to property) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

KSEB has said the state has been facing an acute shortage of power over the past few days. According to KSEB, electricity is unavailable for purchase despite its willingness to procure power at higher market rates. It said sudden spikes in demand when supply resumes have forced substations to temporarily shut down feeders to protect the grid, making advance announcements of outages difficult.