Sambhal: After a power theft case was registered against Samajwadi Party MP Ziaur Rehman Barq, an examination of the two electricity meters at his residence, has revealed that both were tampered with.
The meters were registered in the names of the SP and his grandfather late Shafiqur Rehman Barq. Electricity department's executive engineer (testing) Supreet Singh said the examination report will be submitted to the higher authorities and action will be taken accordingly.
The electricity department officials tested the two meters for four hours in the presence of two representatives of the MP today.
During investigation, the meter in the SP's name had the correct seal but when Meter Reading Instrument (MRI) was checked, it was found that the voltage was zero, load was zero and consumption was zero for six months from May 30 to December 13. This is a proof of electricity theft by bypassing the meter, officials said.
A similar tampering was detected in the second meter, which is in the name of MP's grandfather. This meter too had a correct seal but the consumption was zero and load was zero for the last 16 months as per the MRI report. The MRI contains data of one year.
Notably, on December 17, a team of the electricity department reached the MP's residence in Deepa Sarai and in the presence of police and officials of district administration, both the existing meters were replaced by new smart meters. On suspicion that there was tampering in the two meters, the electricity department officials confiscated and sent those to the laboratory for examination.
On December 19, the electricity department team once again reached the MP's house with officials. They checked the newly installed smart meters along with all the electrical appliances of the house.
The electricity department also registered a case of power theft against Barq and an FIR was lodged in Nakhasa police station against his father Maulana Mamlukur Rahman Barq, who had allegedly threatened electricity employees when they had gone for inspection.
After this, the electricity department called the MP or his representative to the power house on December 23 to examine the two old meters but the inspection could not be done at that time. The new date of meter examination was scheduled on December 26.
Advocate Qasim Jamal and Firasat Ullah reached the power house as the MP's representatives on Thursday and the electricity meters were tested.
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