A team from the Uttar Pradesh Electricity Department, accompanied by security forces, conducted a surprise inspection at the residence of Samajwadi Party MP Zia Ur Rehman Barq on Thursday, leading to the registration of an electricity theft case against him.
Officials alleged irregularities in power usage after finding tampered electricity meters at his residence.
According to officials, two electricity meters installed at Barq's house were found tampered with during the inspection. An FIR has been lodged under Section 135 of the Electricity Act, 2003, which deals with electricity theft and unauthorized power consumption. On Thursday morning, a team from the state electricity department visited Mr. Barq’s two-storey residence to inspect electricity meter readings and evaluate the load from various electrical appliances, including air conditioners and fans. Officials discovered that the sanctioned electricity connection was just 2 kilowatts (kW), while the actual load exceeded 16.5 kW — over eight times the permitted limit. Following the findings, the electricity department disconnected the power supply.
The inspection also revealed that for the past six months, Mr. Barq's residence had accrued zero electricity bills. Newly installed smart meters recorded a power load of 5.5 kW, despite the sanctioned limit being only 2 kW.
Shrish Chandra, Additional Superintendent of Police (Sambhal), said: "The State Electricity Department has registered an FIR for electricity theft against Zia Ur Rehman Barq. During the inspection, the MP’s father allegedly threatened one of the officials conducting the raid. We are gathering evidence, and another FIR related to the threat will be filed soon.”
The police added that legal action would be initiated based on the findings of the investigation. "For now, the power theft case has been registered. The second FIR related to the alleged threat by the MP’s father will be filed after further verification," Chandra added.
Meanwhile, sources close to Barq dismissed the allegations, claiming that the residence primarily relies on solar energy and a generator, making the power theft accusation baseless.
"This is a politically motivated action intended to malign the MP’s image," a party representative said.
Barq has been embroiled in legal troubles before. He is the prime accused in the November 24 violence that broke out during a court-ordered survey of a mosque in Sambhal, which resulted in four deaths. Authorities have accused him of instigating the clashes through provocative speeches — a charge Barq has denied.
The Uttar Pradesh Police claim Barq orchestrated the violence for political gains, but the MP has countered, alleging that the BJP is behind the conspiracy. He has approached the Allahabad High Court seeking legal protection and the quashing of FIRs related to the incident.
