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Illegal stairs outside his house razed, SP MP fined ₹1.91 cr for ‘power theft’
The action added to the woes of the lawmaker, who is also booked by the police in connection with the November 24 violence that led to the death of four locals
LUCKNOW Two staircases built illegally, leading to the house of Samajwadi Party’s Sambhal MP Zia-ur-Rehman Barq, who is facing electricity theft charges, were razed by the district administration on Friday using a bulldozer as part of an anti-encroachment drive in the Deep Sarai area, officials said.
The action added to the woes of the lawmaker, who is also booked by the police in connection with the November 24 violence that led to the death of four locals in a clash with security personnel during a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in the Kot Garvi area of the city.
The electricity department had already imposed a fine of ₹1.91 crore on Lok Sabha MP and disconnected the power supply to his residence for alleged power theft. The development follows a police case registered on Thursday against the MP under Section 135 of the Electricity Act, 2003, for theft of electricity.
The SP MP’s father, Mamluqur Rahman and two others, were booked for allegedly threatening and obstructing government officials from carrying out their duties, police. Power department officials Ajay Sharma and VK Gangwal, in their complaint, alleged that the MP’s father threatened them with dire consequences if the Samajwadi Party returned to power in UP, police officers said.
“While carrying out power theft survey on Thursday, district administration officials noticed an illegal structure constructed at the MP’s house. They verified it from the authorities concerned, after which two illegally constructed staircases were demolished on Friday,” said a senior district administration official, adding, “No other structure was demolished”.
“A case has been filed at the Nakasha police station against Mamluqur Rehman Barq and two others — Wasim and Salman — relevant provisions of the law,” the SP added.
In their complaint to the police, sub-divisional officer (SDO) Santosh Tripathi of the electricity department alleged that a two-kilowatt connection at the MP’s residence was illegally bypassed, allowing unauthorised consumption of 16.48 kilowatts of electricity. “On checking the meter of the consumer, it is clear that electricity theft has been done by bypassing the meter and using electricity illegally,” stated the FIR, seen by HT.
Notably, the UPPCL has intensified efforts to curb power theft and encroachment in Deepa Sarai, a Muslim-dominated neighborhood, since December 13, officials said, adding over 200 power theft cases had been registered, resulting in penalties exceeding ₹2 crore.
