Samajwadi Party MP, accused of electricity theft, fined ₹1.91 crore
What's the story
Samajwadi Party Member of Parliament (MP) Zia Ur Rehman Barq has been slapped with a ₹1.91 crore fine by the Uttar Pradesh Electricity Department for alleged power theft at his Sambhal residence. The fine was levied after an inspection by the department on Thursday found evidence of tampering with two electricity meters at his home. Subsequently, the power supply to his house was disconnected.
Load mismatch
Discrepancy in electricity load leads to fine
The Uttar Pradesh Electricity Department's inspection found that the electricity connection at Barq's residence was much lower than the required load. While Barq had a 2 kilowatt (kW) connection, the actual load was found to be 16.5 kW. New smart meters installed at his home indicated a power load of 5.5 kW, further emphasizing this discrepancy.
Power consumption
Non-operational solar panels, heavy appliances found at residence
Despite Barq's family claiming to have a 10 kW solar panel and a 5 kW generator, the solar panels were reportedly non-functional. The inspection also revealed heavy electrical appliances at the home. These included over 50 LED bulbs, three split ACs, and other appliances with a total load of 16,480 kW. Notably, for the last six months, the electricity bill at Barq's residence has been zero.
Legal action
FIR filed against Barq under anti-power theft act
An FIR has been filed under Section 135 of the Anti-Power Theft Act against Barq, who is also the Chairman of the District Electricity Committee. During the investigation, Barq's father allegedly threatened state electricity officials. This prompted another FIR to be registered against him for obstructing government work. The probe into Barq's home follows tensions after recent violence in Sambhal over a mosque survey.
Mosque
Barq is accused of inciting violence
Barq is accused of inciting violence that led to four deaths and has moved the Allahabad High Court seeking a stay on his arrest in connection with the incident. Following the violence, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath alleged that "many mosques were found to be setting up illegal sub-stations inside them, and connections were being distributed for freemini-power stations."