Gurugram: Fined Rs 2.7 lakh by discom for 'tampering meter', consumer to get refund now

GURUGRAM: A court in Gurugram has directed Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) to refund Rs 2.77 lakh along with interest to a Palam Vihar resident "who was wrongly penalised for meter tampering".
Lalit Sharma received a power bill of around Rs 2.8 lakh in September 2018. Upon enquiry, he was informed by the discom that Rs 2.77 lakh was imposed as penalty for alleged meter tampering in 2014-15.
Sharma was compelled to pay the amount as DHBVN had threatened to snap supply to his house.
Unable to get any relief despite repeated complaints to the top officials of the discom over the next couple of months, Sharma moved a lower court in Gurugram later that year only.
In April this year, civil judge (junior division) Vikrant ruled in favour of Sharma, after the discom failed to prove the meter tampering charge during the trial.
However, the order was challenged by DHBVN in the sessions court.
In its August 16 order, the sessions court pulled up DHBVN for its negligence that led to the harassment of Sharma and his mother, and directed immediate refund of the amount with interest.
Additional district judge Ved Prakash Srohi made it clear in his order that there was no record of meter checking at the time of removal in 2014, and the tampering charges surfaced only in 2015 when the discom got the same checked at its laboratory.
"The meter was removed on May 17, 2014, and it was checked at the laboratory on October 16, 2015. The meter remained in the custody of discom for more than a year without any seal and packing, therefore, the possibility of tampering with the meter while in possession of discom cannot be ruled out," the judge said.
The discom has also not brought on file any evidence to show the pattern of consumption of electricity by the consumer.
"The charges were added in the electricity bill without giving any opportunity of hearing to the consumer in violation of natural justice," the judge said, ordering the discom to initiate an immediate refund of the penalty.