JOIN USRs 1 crore fine for theft of power by factory owner
In an unprecedented judgement by a Special Electricity Court, a fine of Rs 1.48 crore has been imposed for power theft on a factory owner of West Delhi’s Tagore Garden besides a rigorous imprisonment of two years.
Additional Sessions Judge, Special Court of Electricity, Dwarka imposed a penalty of Rs 1, 48, 61,194 on Ranjit Singh Chaudhary, a plastic factory owner.
He will have to undergo additional sentence for six months in case he fails to pay the fine, a statement from BSES said.
Chaudhary was caught stealing 243 Kilo Watt electricity using eight Teflon wires for his factory at Golden Park, Rampura, Tagore Garden. There was no meter found at the site, BSES sources said.
According to the regulations, a penalty was imposed on the accused which he did not pay in the said timeframe. An FIR was then registered against him under Electricity Act 2003.
Chaudhary was found guilty of stealing power with the help of several witnesses and MCD records after he denied having any connection to the premises in question.
Power theft has not only resulted in substantial revenue loss to the discoms, but is also increasing the number of trippings and local breakdowns manifold.
Efforts of discom enforcement teams to check the irregularities are thwarted by
organised gangs on many occasions.
Whenever enforcement teams reach these areas, these gangs ‘gherao’ them and do
not let them check their premises.
Many areas in Delhi like Najafgargh, Jaffarpur, Mundka, Nangloi, Daryaganj, Chandini Chowk, Paharganj, Seelampur, Nand Nagari, Yamuna Vihar, and Karawal Nagar, Shaheen Bagh are still being hit by power theft. Power theft is rampant in some unauthorised colonies also.
The court said: “The convict is also liable to pay civil liability U/s 154 (5) of the Act so amount of civil liability shall be paid to the complainant towards satisfaction of the civil liability, out of fine”
“The bill is raised on the basis of consumption for a period of 12 months multiplied by two times of the applicable tariff rate. Accordingly, the civil liability on the basis of the then tariff rate is assessed at Rs 99, 07, 463,” it added.