S GOVINDASWAMY Vs. CHAIRMAN TAMIL NADU ELECTRICITY BOARD

JUDGEMENT

(1.) HEARD the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and the learned counsels appearing for the respondents.

(2.) IT has been stated that the petitioner had obtained service connection, under Tariff V, in service connection No.202. The petitioner had been paying the current electricity consumption charges, regularly, without any default. While so, on 7.7.2004, the third respondent, without any prior intimation, had entered the premises of the petitioner, along with the Assistant Executive Engineer, Vigilance, Salem and the Assistant Engineer, Palapatti. During the inspection they had found that the meter box had been tampered with, for the purpose of committing theft of energy. On 15.7.2004, a show cause notice had been issued by the third respondent stating that the officials had arrived at the conclusion that theft of energy had been committed by the petitioner, to the tune of Rs.51,327/-. The petitioner had been forced to pay a sum of Rs.30,000/-, as compounding charges, as per Section 50(B) of the Indian Electricity Act, 1910, to avoid criminal prosecution.

(3.) IN view of the submissions made by the learned counsels appearing on behalf of the parties concerned and on a perusal of the records available, this Court is of the view that the petitioner has not shown sufficient cause or reason to grant the reliefs, as prayed for by the petitioner, in the present writ petition.