LUCKNOW, Feb. 19 -- A group of men allegedly posed as power department employees, dismantled a live 400 KV transformer in Rai Enclave on Chinhat Deva Road, and made off with nearly 300 kg of copper worth around Rs.11 lakh, plunging 200-300 residents into darkness for an entire night.

The alleged theft took place around midnight between Wednesday and Thursday, when the 5-6 men arrived in cars, dismantled the transformer and threw it into an adjoining field before fleeing. Around 400 kg of transformer oil was also spilt on the ground during the operation, sources said.

Residents initially suspected a technical fault when power went out. It was only around 5:00 a.m. that the damage and missing equipment confirmed the theft.

Dinesh Chandra...