Ex-BEST employee booked for tweaking electricity meters

Mumbai: A former employee of Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) was booked for allegedly accepting money from several people and showing lesser electricity meter readings in Antop Hill, RAK Marg, Sion and Matunga

Mumbai: A former employee of Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) was booked for allegedly accepting money from several people and showing lesser electricity meter readings in Antop Hill, RAK Marg, Sion and Matunga.

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The accused – identified as M M Hussain – retired in July last year. After his retirement, the bills went up to normal rates and people, who gave money to him, started to complain about inflated bills.

Meanwhile, to replace Hussain, BEST hired a new employee on the same route.

“BEST found that the new employee was regularly following all the procedures and taking the meter readings. Around eleven people who had complained, later accepted to an inquiry committee that Hussain had taken money from them to tweak their meters,” said a police officer from Antop Hill police station.

He added that all eleven people have identified Hussain and accepted that they paid him money every month.

BEST further found that Hussain was taking care of the area from January 2019 to June 2022.

“They have shown that ₹6.45 lakh was cheated. When the team visited Hussain’s residence in New Golden Nest Complex, Mira-Bhayandar, they found he was not present there and his phone was unreachable after which they registered the offence with us. We have registered a case for cheating and criminal breach of trust by clerk or servant against Hussain and will inquire further,” said the officer.

Each reading taken by the meter reading officer is sent to the IT department in Cuffe-Parade after which the bill is generated, however, as the reading itself was fake, the bills came less.

“We have registered the offence on the BEST employees’ complaint and will soon decide the further course of the investigation,” said Nasir Kulkarni, senior police inspector of Antop Hill police station.