Rs 1 crore fine for power theft

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, June 05, 2009

A Delhi court on Thursday fined an industrialist and his son nearly Rs 1 crore, besides sending them to prison, in the “highest ever” quantum of punishment awarded in a power theft case here.

While industrialist Pooran Chand has been sentenced to four years’ rigorous imprisonment, son Mukesh Lakra got seven-and-a-half months in prison.

Holding Chand a “habitual power thief”, the court also debarred him from getting electricity from any source for three months. He had been caught earlier for stealing over 102 KW of electricity.

The Special Court of Electricity in Dwarka fined Chand Rs 45.96 lakh. His son, a BSES consumer, was fined Rs 22.98 lakh.

Apart from the individual fines, a civil liability of Rs 30.64 lakh was also levied on them. Failing to pay the amount will attract a simple imprisonment for another six months, the court said.

The BSES said this is the highest even punishment awarded in Delhi.

Chand owns a plastic bicycle wheels manufacturing unit in west Delhi, where the theft occurred. The duo were caught during a raid by BSES in December 2006.