Power theft declared non-bailable offence

Electricity thieves to face up to seven-year RI

ISLAMABAD: While bringing legal amendments in the Electricity Act, the government has proclaimed electricity theft a ‘non-bailable crime’ allowing arrest without warrant and with punishment up to rigorous seven-year imprisonment and a fine up to Rs10 million.

The law has been amended to ensure severe punishment over power theft and has already been passed from parliament and promulgated by President Mamnoon Hussain. Under the new law, which is the very first of its kind in the country’s history, the defaulter’s property may be confiscated and auctioned to recover the outstanding bills. The offender will be trialed in the Electricity Utility Court. Earlier, due to lax laws, the violators were not punished to the extent of barring them from committing the crime. Now, under the new laws, the huge fines and years long rigorous imprisonments will definitely discourage the crime, a spokesman for the Ministry of Water and Power said.

Under the new law, several clauses have been incorporated including 462-H regarding abstraction or tampering, etc. which will be punishable with rigorous imprisonment for three years or fine up to Rs10 million or both. This clause includes the committing of crime of dishonestly tapping or making any connection overhead, underground or underwater lines or cables or service lines and electricity supply-line, willful tampering or attempt to tamper with service line, electricity supply line or transmission facilities for electric theft, or disrupting supply of electric power or illegal transmission of electric power services.

Another Clause 462-I relates to abstraction of tampering, etc. with distribution or auxiliary, the offender shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment which may extend to three years with fine which may extend to Rs3m or with both.

The clause 462-J is regarding interference, improper use of tampering with electric meter by domestic consumers. The Clause 462-K pertains to interference, improper use or tampering with electric meter by industrial or commercial consumers, etc. The punishment for violation of the clause shall be imprisonment which may extend to three years or fine up to six million rupees or both.

Another clause incorporated is 462-L which is regarding interference, improper use of tampering with electric meter by agricultural consumer. If a consumer is found guilty, he may be punished up to two years behind bars or fined up to Rs2.5 million or both.

The clause 462-M of the law pertains to damaging or destroying or destructing the transmission lines, distribution lines, electric meters, etc. The criminal shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment which may extend to seven years and with fine which shall not be less than three million rupees.