E-Paper
Small-scale unit caught stealing power worth ₹1.33 crore
Adani Electricity Mumbai Limited?s vigilance team caught a small-scale industrial unit stealing power worth INR1.33 crore ($182,000) by illegally taking a direct connection from the supply network in Kurar Village, Malad East. The industrial unit had been consuming an unusually low quantum of electricity over the past few months, despite dealing with the process of electroplating. Adani Electricity has filed a FIR at Kandivali Police Station against four people for this theft under Sections 135 and 150 of the Electricity Act 2003.
Mumbai: A small-scale industrial unit was allegedly caught stealing power worth ₹1.33 crore by illegally taking a direct connection from supply network in Kurar Village, Malad East.
The theft was unearthed by the vigilance team of Adani Electricity Mumbai Limited’s (AEML), which had found anomalies in the power consumption pattern of this unit and had been keeping a watch on it.
Adani Electricity has filed a FIR at Kandivali Police Station against four people for this theft under Sections 135 (theft of electric lines and materials) and 150 (abetting an offence) of the Electricity Act 2003. The case has been transferred to Kurar Police station.
Sources said that over the past few months, the industrial unit had been consuming unusually low quantum of electricity though it was dealing with the process of electroplating. This industrial unit had consumption of 78,000 units in over three years though the anticipated consumption would be more than 6 lakh units.
As a result, their vigilance team studied the consumption pattern, made informal visits etc. to find out the reason.
“We were monitoring the data generated by the electronic meter (of the unit) and found several anomalies in its functioning. We finally decided to disconnect the line supplying power to their e-meter. During the comprehensive examination, our suspicion came true when we found heavy power guzzling machines still working despite disconnecting their line,” said an official from AEML.
In the past, when surprise checks were conducted, the small-scale unit had three electronic doors that required someone from the inside to press the button to let someone in. So, whenever they reached their office/factory premises, the accused got sufficient time to allegedly correct the power supply. The AEML officials said the accused had taken the e-meter box inside the premises, which isn’t allowed.
A spokesperson of the AEML said that during the raid, their team was obstructed and manhandled. “The team managed to gather solid evidence of power theft, revealing the illicit use of three-phase direct supply for the electroplating business. Our assessment revealed that the theft involved consumption of 6,88,239 units over a period of three years and nine months that amounted to a staggering ₹1,33,05,209,” said the spokesperson. Sources said the same company had been warned in the past about stealing power.
