New Delhi, February 6, 2006

Press Release

BSES nets ‘Big Fish’ - South Delhi’s Page 3 Restaurants and Guest Houses caught red handed indulging in power theft

• BSES catches BIG FISH stealing electricity over 200 KW – raids against them to continue
• Ultra posh multi cuisine Restaurant and Guest House in Greater Kailash – I’s N and B Block  caught stealing power by slowing meters by 67 and 80 percent respectively
• Sophisticated remote controlled device installed to suppress recording of energy
• Penalty of nearly Rs 1 crore levied

The menace and the extent of power thefts in Delhi never fails to surprise. Even the upmarket restaurants and guest houses often featured regularly on Page 3 do not shy away from stealing electricity.

In enforcement raids conducted over the weekend, in the posh Greater Kailash – I, BRPL Enforcement Teams caught a well known Restaurant and a Guest House, indulging in power theft. The two were found to have tampered their respective meters. Their meters were slow between 67 percent and 80 percent. A cumulative penalty of around Rs 1 crore is being levied against them.

According to Mr Lalit Jalan, Director, BSES “BSES has decided to go after the ‘Big Fish’, indulging in power theft as part of its ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy. The raids on the “Big Fish” will continue and we hope these cases will serve as a deterrent to others”.

In raids carried in the ultra posh N Block Market of Greater Kailash – I, the Enforcement Teams caught a multi cuisine restaurant at N – 2, spread over three floors and a basement, stealing electricity by tampering its three meter by a whooping 80 percent. According to a BSES official, “the restaurant had tampered its meters by breaking the seals; cutting the ultra sonic wielding and breaking open the meter body. The accused had also managed to short circuit the circuitry, to slow down the meter.  A penalty of over Rs 50 lakh is being levied on the accused”.

In the second case, BRPL Enforcement Teams, caught red handed, an upmarket guest house, located at B – 167 Greater Kailash, stealing electricity worth around 90 KW, by tampering the meter by almost 70 percent. According to a BSES official, “The Guest House was found to have illegally deployed a sophisticated remote controlled device to suppress the recording of energy. A penalty of over Rs 30 lakh is being levied.” This is for the first time, that we have detected such a sophisticated device being used to steal electricity, added the official.

The restaurant and the guest house were found to be having a connected load of 88 KW and 121 KW respectively, much beyond their sanctioned limit, said a BSES official.

According to a BSES spokesperson “Comprehensive and detailed surveys undertaken by BSES over the last few weeks have shown that there are many other large and famous establishments in Greater Kailash and adjoining areas, that are stealing power on a large scale. Over the next few days, many such raids will be conducted in the area”

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