Lucknow: A routine afternoon at the Sector-14 power house in Vikas Nagar transformed into a scene of absolute mayhem this Tuesday, February 18, when a local resident allegedly launched a violent physical assault on electricity department employees following a dispute over a disconnected power line.
The incident, which was partially captured in a now-viral video, has led to a formal police investigation and left several government employees shaken.
The spark? A 2:10 PM phone call
The trouble began at approximately 2:10 pm when the suspect, identified as Nidhi Sharma, a resident of house number 14/115 in Sector-14, contacted the substation control room. She reported that her residence was without electricity and demanded immediate restoration.
In UP’s Lucknow, a woman was seen attacking and abusing a staffer who began recording video of an altercation at a power house. pic.twitter.com/wD9rE9z5A6
— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) February 19, 2026
According to department officials, the staff on duty followed standard protocol, asking Sharma to provide her connection number and verification of her recent bill payments. This request reportedly acted as a catalyst; Sharma allegedly became enraged, hurled verbal abuse over the phone, and abruptly ended the call.
Violence at the substation
The situation escalated rapidly when Sharma arrived at the power house in person shortly after the call, accompanied by an unidentified youth. Eyewitnesses describe a “storm-like” entry as she allegedly barged into the control room and began a tirade against employee Anoop Kumar.
The confrontation quickly turned physical
The electricity worker, Harish Yadav, was reportedly slapped repeatedly and subjected to an attempted strangulation during the scuffle. In a fit of rage, Sharma allegedly grabbed official documents and registers within the control room, tearing them to shreds.
When another staff member attempted to document the chaos on his mobile phone, Sharma and her companion reportedly snatched the device away and assaulted him to stop the recording. Two other employees, Akash Kannaujia and Rajneesh Yadav, sustained minor injuries while attempting to intervene and protect their colleagues.
Police intervention and legal charges
The Lucknow police were alerted via the Dial-112 emergency system. While Junior Engineer Sunil Kumar Verma was not on-site during the peak of the violence, he rushed to the substation upon hearing the news and subsequently spearheaded the legal response.
Alok Kumar Singh, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Vikas Nagar, confirmed that an FIR has been registered against Nidhi Sharma and her unidentified accomplice. The duo faces a litany of charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 115 (2) Voluntarily causing hurt, Section 121 (1), Voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant to deter them from duty and Section 351: Criminal intimidation.
As investigators review the surfaced video footage and question eyewitnesses, the electricity department has condemned the “unprovoked” violence against frontline workers performing their duties. Further arrests are expected as police work to identify the youth who assisted in the assault.