New Delhi, Dec 7 (PTI) The police needs to do much moreto deter people from resorting to power theft, even though itwas taking action in such cases, the Delhi High Court saidtoday.
"Maybe you need to lodge more FIRs. Maybe you need to domore," a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and JusticeC Hari Shankar said while hearing a PIL seeking directions tothe DERC, power distribution company (discom) BSES Rajdhaniand the Delhi Police to take steps to prevent power theft.
The court's observation came after the police,represented by Delhi government additional standing counselGautam Narayan, said it has been lodging FIRs on complaints ofpower theft and arrested several persons in course of itsinvestigation.
Police, in a status report, has said that till September30 this year, it received 3,853 complaints of power theft fromthe discom and lodged 2,897 cases on that basis.
In the course of investigating these 2,897 cases, policeclaimed to have arrested 461 persons.
It has also said that it would not be feasible to set upa separate police station to deal with such matters "due tooperational and administrative reasons".
However, all its personnel were sensitised to deal withcases of electricity theft, the police has said in its statusreport.
The petitioner, Raman Suri, in his plea has alleged thatthe discoms shift the burden of electricity thefts to thegenuine customers by raising their tariff.
This allegation has been denied by the discom BSESRajdhani.
The court listed the matter for further hearing onJanuary 24. PTI HMP PPSARC.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.