Mill owners fined Rs 4 lakh for power theft

THANE: A 12-year trial against two flour mill owners from

Bhiwandi

concluded with their conviction in a case of power

theft

as the district sessions judge fined them Rs 4 lakh collectively.

District judge P P Jadhav last week convicted Ramdev Yadav (50) and

Mohammad Ansari

(60), residents of Nehru Nagar and Navi Vasti, under section 135 of Electricity Act, 2003, and fined them Rs 1.90 lakh and Rs 2.10 lakh respectively.

Additional public prosecutor Vivek G Kadu told court that MSEDCL officials conducted an inspection of their meters on September 18 and 22, 2006, respectively and found them tampered.

The judge observed that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt the duo had by tampering with the meters indulged in

power

theft.

The judge also observed that though no independent witness were examined by the prosecution, the technicalities were strong evidence.