On Thursday, 19th December, the electricity department in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh slapped Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal, Zia-ur-Rehman Barq with hefty monetary fine amounting to ₹1.91 crore for alleged power theft. The department filed an FIR against the MP and also disconnected electricity to his residence. The authorities now have also issued a notice to the MP demanding payment of the penalty as soon as possible.
As per the reports, Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) Santosh Tripathi confirmed the development and said that if the penalty amount is not paid by the leader, a recovery certificate (RC) will be issued soon in his name.
This comes after a team from the electricity department along with the state police raided and inspected Barq’s residence in Sambhal to check suspected power theft. The department collected existing meters as evidence as it charged the leader of tampering with the meters, and installed new smart meters.
#WATCH | Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh: A team from State Electricity Department, along with a large number of security personnel, arrives at the residence of SP MP Zia ur Rehman Barq in Sambhal. The State Electricity Department has flagged irregularities in electricity usage at the… pic.twitter.com/Y8eLXbXf1M
— ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2024
Reports suggest that the old meters of the SP MP had been sealed and sent to the laboratory for examination. The complaint in the name of the leader states that Barq had been illegally using the electricity by bypassing his house meters. The current meter at Barq’s residence, as per the authorities, displayed a reading of zero.
However, it is crucial to note that apart from the theft charges, Barq and his associates have also been accused of issuing threats to the electricity department. It is also believed that Barq’s father, Mamluk-ur-Rehman Barq also issued threats to the officials of the department.
“Santosh Tripathi visited the senior Barq’s residence at 7:30 am to inspect electrical equipment. The officials were reportedly obstructed by Barq’s father, who remarked, ‘We will see if the government changes.’ Officials recorded the incident on video as evidence,” Superintendent of Police (Sambhal) Krishna Kumar Bishnoi said.
The State Electricity Department commented on the matter and stated that Barq had taken a 2 kilowatt (kW) connection while the load he used was 16.5 kW. However, the new smart meters established two days ago showed a power load of 5.5 kW. “Barq’s family members said they have installed a 10 kW solar panel and 5 kW generator in the house with which the MP’s house can take up to 19 kW electricity load. The solar panels installed in the home were also not working,” the Superintending Engineer of the Electricity Department said.
The officials further also found heavy electrical appliances that were frequently being used at the residence. The types of equipment included over 50 LED bulbs, a deep freezer, three split ACs, 2 fridges, a coffee maker, a geyser, and a microwave oven. These notably take the electrical load to 16,480 kW.
The charges imposed against Barq are under Section 135 of the Electricity Act, 2003, which pertains to electricity theft and unauthorized use. The bill of the residence for the past six months had notably been reading zero.
The electricity department with a large contingent of security personnel arrived to check suspected power theft at the residence of MP Zia Ur Rehman Barq. Earlier this week, a smart meter was installed at the MP’s residence. As reported earlier, the State Electricity Department flagged irregularities in electricity usage at the premises of the MP.
As the anti-encroachment drive proceeded in Sambhal, industrial-scale electricity theft has been coming to light in densely populated areas. As per reports, in the past 3 months, the Sambhal district police and administration have registered 1250 FIRs and imposed fines amounting to Rs 5.2 crores for electricity theft alone. Multiple mosques and madrasas were found to have used devious means to steal electricity from the supply grid and extend illegal connections around the densely populated areas.
More than 90 FIRs have been filed in the cases of electricity theft including instances at 4 Madrsas and 1 Mosque. A total fine of Rs 5.2 crores has also been filed in the cases.
An entire illegal powerhouse was found running on top of a mosque, supplying stolen power to over 100 houses. In early morning raids in the Deepa Sarai and Nai Sarai localities, the officials found a mosque with 59 fans, over 30 light points, and a fridge, but the meter was shut down.
