Adani Electricity Mumbai Ltd has detected a case of power theft of over 5 lakh units of electricity in the city’s northern suburbs.
According to a company release, on November 29, 2023, Adani Electricity’s vigilance team filed a power theft case and lodged an FIR on December 01, 2023, at Kandivali Police Station U/S 135 of Electricity Act 2003 against Morris Benny Kinny for unauthorized electricity usage at his ‘Kinny Farmhouse & Resort’ located on Manori Marve Road, Malad West. The total theft amounted to 5.41 lakh units, with a total value of Rs. 1.04 crore.
Suspicious meter readings
Adani Electricity’s vigilance team had been closely monitoring this resort for the past few months due to suspicious meter readings and electricity consumption patterns. On November 29, 2023, the team conducted a surprise raid on “Kinny Resort” and discovered that Mr. Benny Kinny was not only stealing electricity for his resort but also for his own bungalow located on the same premises. The vigilance team traced the entire LT network and observed that unauthorized electricity was being drawn by connecting two separate illegal wires to Adani Electricity’s main underground LT service cable. The team skillfully detected the theft and lodged a FIR against the resort owner at Kandivali Police Station.
Vigilance stepped up
Commenting on the power theft cases, an Adani Electricity spokesperson stated, “Power theft places an undue financial burden on honest and paying consumers, and this situation is unacceptable to us. By cracking down on these unlawful activities, the company safeguards the interests of its consumers. As a step further, our vigilance and enforcement teams have launched a special vigilance drive to inspect all resorts, hotels, and commercial establishments in the Manori, Gorai, and Mira Bhayandar areas. We will intensify our efforts this year to reduced distribution losses in the area.”
Third major case
This marks the third instance of large-scale power theft unearthed by Adani Electricity’s vigilance team within the past six months. In July 2023, the team exposed an illegal power connection worth Rs.1.09 crore employed by Crohast Plastic Moulding Mfg Ltd, a plastic molding business operating at Hawa Apartment on Mahakali Caves Road, Andheri. In June 2023, Jaini Traders, an electroplating business located in Kurar village, Malad, was caught illegally utilizing a three-phase direct supply, resulting in a power theft case worth Rs.1.33 crore.
Impact on Infrastructure
Stealing electricity is a non-bailable offence. Under section 135 of the Electricity Act 2003, the offender can be punished with a fine, a jail term of up to three years, or both, upon conviction. Power demand in certain slum clusters is already high, and new network development is challenging due to severe space constraints. Power theft further overloads the network. This increases the cost of servicing as cables and transformers are more prone to failures, leading to a surge in repair and maintenance expenses.
Featured collage is related to the power theft case discussed in this story.
