The special courts of electricity have sentenced four thieves in three separate cases of power theft, including owners of a 30-room guest house to jail and imposed heavypenalties.
In the first case, the two guest house owners were awarded three-year rigorous imprisonment and penalised `33 lakhs (fine `20.14 lakhs along with civil liability of `13 lakhs), a senior BSES official said.
In the second case, a person was penalised `23.70 lakhs (fine `14.2 lakhs + Civil Liability of `9.49 lakhs). Moreover, in both the cases, in case of default of the fines, they will have to undergo simple imprisonment of six months and three months respectively. In both cases, the accused had pleaded not guilty and claimed trial, he said.
While in the third case, a Special Court of Electricity, Dwarka, let off a person convicted of power-theft, only after he paid a penalty of over ` 73,000 and spending couple of days in jail, he added.
While awarding the sentence, the Special Court Tees Hazari ASJ/ Special Judge Electricity Arul Varma referred to a verdict of the Hon’ble Supreme Court , which unequivocally advances the proposition that case of theft of electricity are to be dealt with an iron hand.
While pronouncing the judgment, the Special Court order says“….it is of utmost importance to underscore that it is not a mere theft, but it is one which not only causes stupendous economic loss but also jeopardises lives”.
