A Delhi court has held a resident of south Delhi’s posh colony Sainik Farm guilty of stealing 17.85 kilowatt of electricity to run three ACs of 2,250 watt each, two geysers of 2,000 watt each, two washing machines, two refrigerators and two television sets.
A team of power distribution company BSES Rajdhani Power Limited had inspected the residential premises no. 118 and found the accused, Kanwaljeet Singh Khurana, tapping power directly from the low voltage mains in 2005.
On the basis of connected load and applicable tariff, the company had raised a theft bill of ₹2,87,011 when the accused failed to pay it.
After recording pre-summoning evidence of the complainant company, the court had summoned the accused but he failed to appear. Later, the court declared him a proclaimed offender.
Thereafter, he was arrested and produced before the court that granted him bail.
No evidence produced
The accused in his defence in the trial said that he was not committing any theft of electricity at the premises in question on the date of inspection.
He, further, said that he was not liable to pay any amount as claimed by the complainant. But he did not produce any evidence in his defence
The accused stayed in the second-floor of the house.
Counsel for the company submitted that direct theft of electricity was going on in the entire building, and after taking load of different floors, two cases were filed against Kuldeep Saini for the ground and the first floors which resulted into his conviction and the present case for the second floor of the building was filed against Kanwaljeet Singh Khurana.
“In cases pertaining to direct theft of electricity, the best remedy available to the accused is to show that he/she was paying legal charges against the electricity supplied at his/her premise by producing paid electricity bills, however, in the present case, accused has failed to show even a single paid electricity bill qua the premises in question i.e. second floor at the relevant time,” Additional Sessions judge Neelam Singh said while convicting the accused.
“In view of my said discussions, I am of considered opinion that the complainant has been successful in proving the case of theft of electricity against the accused beyond reasonable doubt. Accordingly, the accused Kanwaljeet Singh Khurana is held guilty under Section 135 of the Electricity Act, 2003,” the judge further said.
