Shrimp farmer gets 3 years in jail for ₹15 lakh electricity theft

Rajkot: The additional sessions court in Keshod town of Junagadh district sentenced a 42-year-old shrimp farmer to three years of simple imprisonment for stealing electricity worth over Rs 15 lakh to power his aquaculture operations.

The accused, Vashram Chudasama, was found guilty of illegally bypassing his official electricity meter to run heavy machinery at his shrimp farm located near the Dandeshwar Mahadev Temple in Chorwad town of the district.

The case dates back to May 3, 2019, when a team of state-run discom Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Ltd (PGVCL) conducted a surprise inspection at Chudasama’s farm. The team, led by then PGVCL deputy engineer, discovered that the accused had created an unauthorised, direct power connection.

According to additional public prosecutor A M Parekh, Chudasama used long 6 sq mm four-core PVC cables to hook directly into the neutral wires of two different PGVCL utility poles. This illegal setup was used to power 16 electric aerator motors (two horsepower each), which are critical for circulating water in commercial shrimp breeding ponds.

Following the inspection, PGVCL officials seized the cables and calculated that the unauthorised consumption amounted to a massive financial theft of Rs 15.18 lakh. A formal police complaint was subsequently registered under Section 135 of the Indian Electricity Act, 2003, which strictly penalises the direct theft of energy.

Delivering his judgment on June 9, 2026, additional sessions judge H B Trivedi found Chudasama guilty.

In his ruling, the judge emphasised the severe broader impacts of the crime, noting that electricity theft is not merely an economic loss to a single utility company, but a "serious socio-economic crime". The court stated that such thefts damage national property and ultimately place an unfair financial burden on honest, paying electricity consumers.

Chudasama was sentenced to three years of simple imprisonment under Section 135 of the Electricity Act. Furthermore, the court ordered that the confiscated wires used in the theft be publicly auctioned after the appeal period expires, with all proceeds to be deposited into the govt treasury.