Restaurant Stole Water for 8 Yrs

Nandini Deluxe Restaurant in RT Nagar allegedly took supply worth `24.08 lakh
Restaurant Stole Water for 8 Yrs

The owner of an Andhra-style food joint has been chargesheeted for theft of water for eight years.

The chargesheet was filed by the R T Nagar police in the 8th ACMM Court recently. Roopesh Ananda, owner of Nandini Deluxe Restaurant at MLA Layout in RT Nagar, has been named in it.

According to the chargesheet, the restaurant stole 48.34 lakh litres using a 1.25-inch pipeline, causing a loss of Rs 24.08 lakh to the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB). The theft amounts to a violation of Section 108 (A) of  the BWSSB Act, 1964.

The water was allegedly drawn from July 2006 to December 2014. After the BWSSB detected the theft on December 4, 2014, it slapped a notice demanding Rs 24.08 lakh. It also sought a penalty of Rs 5,000.

The chargesheet contains the names of six witnesses, including Rajashekharappa, Assistant Executive Engineer, BWSSB, and M Mahesh, Sub-Inspector, R T Nagar police station.

During a routine inspection, the BWSSB says, its staff checked the meter at the restaurant. They noticed that the valve near the meter had been closed. When they opened the lid to the sump, they noticed water gushing in with full pressure.

The staff then found that the restaurant had tapped into the main pipeline, bypassing the meter. The control valve was allegedly hidden in the cellar. When they closed the valve, the chargesheet says, the supply to the sump stopped.

The restaurant had allegedly used a brick pillar to cover the unauthorised pipeline. The authorities broke a portion of the pillar to confirm the theft.

Channabasavaiah, AEE, BWSSB, North-East, initiated legal action on December 4, 2014.

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