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Chandigarh man gets three-year jail for electricity theft
63-year-old was caught tampering with the power meter at his house twice, court denies any leniency
Harreet Singh Gill, a 63-year-old resident of Sector 28, has been awarded three-year imprisonment for tampering with the electricity meter at his house.
The court of additional district and sessions judge Gagan Geet Kaur also imposed a fine of ₹10,000 on him.
The seals of the electricity meter were found to be tampered with twice, once in June 2013 and for the second time in April 2015. The meter was also found to be working slower than usual. A case was registered against him in January 2016.
“It is observed that the theft of electric energy for financial gains has achieved gigantic proportions and this practice causes loss not only to the state exchequer but also puts a pressure on honest consumers,” said the court, while convicting Gill on Friday.
When Gill pleaded for leniency, as he had undergone hip replacement surgery and angioplasty in the recent past, the court said: “Any person indulging in such activities does not deserve any leniency.”
“This is an economic offence wherein society as a whole is victim and honest payers of electricity charges are sufferers on account of the proved conduct of the convict, such convicts are getting unearned benefits at the others (expense) and as such they deserve no leniency,” the court observed further.
On January 5, 2016, Rakesh Mahajan, sub-divisional officer of the electricity department, registered a police complaint against Gill for “theft of electricity” under Section 135 of the Electricity Act 2003.
It was mentioned that in June 2013, seals of his electricity meter were found tampered with and the meter was found to be working slower than usual. But being the first offence, he was let off after the recovery of compounding charges.
When the meter was checked again in April 2015, the seals were found tampered with again and meter found to be working slower by 66%. An extra electronics circuit was also found connected to the meter.
In court, Gill denied the allegations and pleaded innocence. He said the aluminium seals of the meter were affixed by a junior engineer of the electricity department after a complaint regarding burning of the cables from the electricity pole to the meter was made. However, after hearing the arguments, the court held Gill guilty.
