Nagpur: In a major crackdown against power theft in the city, the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), commonly known as Mahavitaran, has exposed electricity theft worth lakhs of rupees at a hotel in the Bhaldarpura area. A case is being registered at Ganeshpeth Police Station under Section 135 of the Electricity Act, 2003 (amended in 2007).

According to information received, Assistant Engineer Shrikant Bahadure of the Nandanvan Subdivision, along with his team, conducted a raid at ‘Lucky Chicken Hotel’ located in Bhaldarpura. During the operation, the business premises owned by Taj Mohammad Aamir Mohammad Sheikh (Consumer No. 410017007851) were

inspected.

Officials said that when the team reached the spot, the hotel staff initially tried to avoid opening the premises, raising suspicion. Following this, the Mahavitaran team carried out a detailed inspection of the area.

During the inspection, it was discovered that a 50 mm black wire had been directly connected from a Mahavitaran transformer located behind the hotel, allowing the establishment to draw electricity illegally. The connection bypassed the electricity meter entirely, enabling the hotel to consume power directly through the illegal wire.

The inspection revealed that 11,251 units of electricity had been stolen, causing an estimated loss of ₹2,59,440 to Mahavitaran.

Mahavitaran has issued a power theft bill to the concerned consumer and has also informed the owner about paying a compounding fee of ₹45,000 as per regulations.

The raid was carried out under the supervision of Additional Executive Engineer Dheeraj Barapatre, Executive Engineer Sameer Tekade, Additional Executive Engineer Parag Uke, along with other technical staff members.

Mahavitaran officials stated that electricity theft is a serious cognizable offence

and results in significant financial losses to the power distribution company.

Authorities have warned that strict action will continue against individuals and establishments found drawing power illegally in the future.