Powerloom owner gets 2-year jail, hefty fine for power theft

A court sentenced a powerloom owner in Bhiwandi to two years of rigorous imprisonment in a 2006 power theft case here in Maharashtra.

District Judge P P Jadhav, who convicted the powerloom owner, Hayat Mohammad Najir Khan, in the case, also imposed a fine of Rs 8.75 lakh on him in an order pronounced last week.

Besides Hayat Khan (52), two others Rajiuddin Anwarali Khan, 46, and Aashir Ahmad Mohammad Khalil Khan, 40, were also tried in the case, but were acquitted by the court for want of sufficient evidence.

According to the prosecution, Hayat Khan operated his powerloom factory at Nagaon in Bhiwandi.

On September 26, 2006, a team of MSEB (Maharashtra State Electricity Board) conducted an inspection of the unit and found it was illegally drawing electricity from a nearby transformer, Assistant Public Prosecutor Vivek Kadu had told the court during the trial.

After assessment it was found that the unit had illegally drawn power worth Rs 2.75 lakh, he had said.

Hayat Khan was issued a notice for the pending power bill, but he refused to pay the amount to the MSEB, Kadu had said.

He was booked by the police for power theft.

The judge, in his order, observed that the prosecution has successfully proved the charges against Hayat Khan under section 135 of the Electricity Act, 2003.

"The offence has been duly proved against the accused (Hayat Khan)," the judge said while convicting and awarding two years of rigorous jail term to him.