New Delhi, September 25, 2006

Press Release

 Special Court takes a serious view of repeated power theft by a Paharganj factory / showroom owner; orders kurki-jabti (attachment of property) notice and sends him to Tihar Jail

 ·        Travel bags and travel accessory manufacturer and owner of a posh showroom sent to Tihar Jail

·        Caught twice in the past 9 months for stealing electricity

·        Penalties of around  Rs 11 lakh slapped 

BSES’ efforts to crackdown on the menace of power theft recently received a major fillip when a Special Court remanded Tilak Raj Chopra, a Paharganj factory / showroom owner, to Tihar Jail for 14 days. Chopra manufactures travel bags and travel accessories and also owns a posh showroom in Paharganj.

 Chopra – a two time power theft offender – was first booked for power theft on 31 May 2005. He was caught red handed stealing 33 KW of electricity by directly hooking from a nearby BSES LV mains for commercial purposes. As per guidelines under Indian Electricity Act, 2003, the accused was penalized and slapped a penalty of around Rs 11 lakh. Chopra was caught stealing power for a second time during an enforcement raid in February 2006. A FIR (No 130/06) was registered against him at the Nabi Karim Police station.

 After the first raid in May 2005, BYPL moved the Special Court as Chopra failed to deposit the penalty amount within the specified time frame. The accused also avoided summons of the Special Court. Finally, the Special Court issued a “kurki-jabti” (attachment of property) notice against Chopra. The accused then appeared before the court and was sent to Tihar jail for 14 days.

 “BSES has intensified its enforcement activities and spruced up the legal machinery at its disposal. In the last one month itself, BRPL and BYPL have booked over 1900 accused for indulging in power theft and booked an electricity theft of over 10,000 KW”, said a BSES official. He added that over 250 cases have been filed in the Special Courts in the month of August 2006. 

BSES, Delhi’s premier power distribution company, is committed to ensuring quality and reliable electricity supply to all its consumers.

 For further information please contact: