PUNJAB STATE ELECTRICITY BOARD Vs. SUKHMINDER SINGH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) PUNJAB State Electricity Board, appellant (in short "the appellant") has filed this appeal against the order dated 19.9.2006 passed by the learned District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Ropar (in short "the District Forum").

(2.) FACTS in brief are that Sh. Sukhminder Singh, respondent/complainant (hereinafter called, "the respondent") filed a complaint under Section 12 of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (in short, "the Act"), pleading that an electric connection bearing account No. CH -240447 was installed in the name of the respondent in House No. HIG -818, Phase -2, Mohali. The said house was given on rent to one Tejpal Singh Anand since 5.3.2001, but he did not make the payment of rent to the respondent and ultimately, a suit for possession was filed seeking ejectment of the said tenant which was decreed ex parte on 18.09.2004.

(3.) WHEN the tenant came to know that he has to vacate the house, he started misusing the electricity and stopped the payment of electricity bills. An amount of about Rs. 10,000 towards electricity bill became due during January, 2004 and in this bill, the pending payment of the previous bill was also included which shows that he stopped the payment of the bill from November, 2003 and the PSEB authorities failed to disconnect the connection and, ultimately, the electric connection was disconnected on 5.4.2005 vide FR No. 9180. The appellant and its employees did not disconnect the connection in connivance with the tenant for a period of one and a half years and he was permitted to use the electricity without making any payment.