No power for 4 mths, elderly stays in dark

New Delhi: For four months now, 66-year-old Chander Kanta Malhotra does not have electricity in her south Delhi house, allegedly due to the “influence” of former councillor Subhash Malhotra and no assistance from Delhi Police. The supply was disconnected in February by BSES due to a technical default and she was asked to apply for a new one. Kanta, the widow of an ex-armyman, completed all the formalities and paid for the new connection in her house in Lajpat Nagar on March 10, 2016.She also got orders from a consumer grievance redressal forum for installation of the connection. The forum said that BSES could take police protection, if required, for it. Despite this, BSES was unable to give an electricity connection to Kanta and the forum observed that police had failed to provide “sufficient force” to BSES.
In a May 23 order, the forum, a statutory body of the government, said, “The forum feels that respondents did not install the meter even with the help of police officers like ACP and SHO, who did not provide sufficient force...they should have taken more steps to carry out the orders.”
Kanta has been living in the house, built above a wedding hall and adjacent to a temple, since 1992. Until mid-February this year, there was one electricity connection for all three. However, Malhotra claimed that the woman had illegally occupied the upper part of the premises and had not paid the electricity and water bills since many years. “She is levelling false allegations against me. She has wrongfully occupied the place. It is temple property,” said Malhotra, a member of the mandir committee.
BSES had told the forum that it could not install a new connection as “there is a dispute among the mandir trustees...and refusal by ex-councillor Subhash Malhotra”. The BSES staff who had gone to install the connection also said ACP (southeast district) and SHO (Lajpat Nagar police station) had also refused to comply with the forum’s order and said they could have complied with the order if it had come from a court.
The forum directed BSES “to install the meter” and said Kanta was at liberty to move court.
Kanta’s counsel, Amit Sahni, has also issued a legal notice to the SHO and the ACP, saying they are liable to be prosecuted for wilfully disobeying the forum’s directions. The notice states, “Several people under the influence of ex-councillor Subhash Malhotra have been interrupting the installation...though Delhi Police claims to show sincerity and dedication towards their work...It is unfortunate that my client has been moving from pillar to post...but no action was taken by you”.
Sahni added that he would soon file a petition in the Delhi high court.
Malhotra too said he would take legal action against Kanta, alleging that the woman and her family members had filed a false criminal case against him.