'Set the house on fire': UP power officer's bold directive over consumers' unpaid bills sparks outrage (WATCH)

A video capturing an internal virtual meeting among electricity department employees from Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district has gone viral, igniting outrage on social media and raising concerns about the handling of non-paying customers. The video, widely circulated online, shows an explosive exchange between Dheeraj Jaiswal, an officer of Power Corporation in Saharanpur, and other employees, over non-payment of bills by customers.

In the clip, an electricity department employee is heard expressing frustration over customers dodging payments, some even reportedly relocating to different states to evade their dues. "The locks are always closed. No one lives in the houses. Some are living in Haryana, some are living somewhere else," the employee says, detailing how elusive some of these residents have become.

Jaiswal’s response, however, has left people stunned. The Superintending Engineer, in an apparent fit of impatience, interjects with a shocking directive, “Set the house on fire.” 

Jaiswal's statement has sparked intense backlash and raised questions about the ethics and attitude of officials in positions of power, with some even demanding his suspension.