Revenue recovery to be initiated against Sambhal MP Ziaur Rahman Barq after he fails to pay fine for ‘electricity theft’
A fine of Rs 1.91 crore was imposed on Ziaur Rahman Barq after power theft was reported at his residence on December 19.
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Barq is currently facing another FIR accusing him of inciting violence among the crowd outside Shahi Masjid on November 24. (File Photo)Samajwadi Party (SP)’s Sambhal MP Ziaur Rahman Barq has been unable to meet the 15-day deadline set by the Sambhal unit of the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) to pay a fine of Rs 1.91 crore for alleged electricity theft at his residence. As a result, he will now face the legal process for revenue recovery.
“We issued a notice for a fine of Rs 1.91 crore due to electricity theft at the residence of the MP on December 21. We set a deadline of 15 days for payment, which expired on January 4, but we have not yet received any payment. In two or three days, we will issue a recovery certificate (RC) and request the district revenue department to collect not only the fine but also the accrued interest from the offender,” said Naveen Gautam, the executive engineer (XEN) of UPPCL in Sambhal.
The heavy fine was imposed on the MP after power theft was reported at his residence on December 19. On the same day, he was also charged with large-scale electricity theft and the power supply to his residence was disconnected.
Gautam also stated that the power connection to the MP’s residence will remain disconnected until he pays his fine. “The two meters at his residence have shown zero readings for the last six months, and the units consumed have not exceeded 100 in any of the remaining months this year. However, during our inspection, we found that electricity consumption in his house exceeded 16 kilowatts daily, despite the sanctioned connection being only four kilowatts. This discrepancy has led to a substantial fine and the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) for power theft,” he said.
Barq is currently facing another FIR filed by the police on the evening of November 24. This FIR accuses the MP of inciting violence among the crowd outside the Shahi Masjid on that day. The unrest resulted in the deaths of four individuals, and numerous people, including police officers, sustained injuries during the protests in Sambhal, which were triggered by a local court’s order to survey the mosque.
“We approached the Allahabad High Court to request the quashing of the FIR registered after the violence. However, on January 3, the court decided not to quash the FIR. It instructed the Sambhal police not to arrest the MP while they continue their investigation into his possible involvement in the violence that occurred on November 24,” said Quasim Jamal, the lawyer representing Barq.
An FIR was registered on December 19 against the father of the MP, Mumluk ur Rahman Barq, for obstructing government officials in the performance of their duties.
When contacted, the MP’s father stated, “During the raid at our residence, the police and Power Corporation employees behaved towards us similarly to how the police treated the protesters outside the Shahi Mosque on November 24. The government officials are trying to provoke people to disrupt law and order. The UPPCL employees are deeply corrupt and are colluding with businessmen and factory owners. All of this is being done to defame the MP and his party. People are facing injustice, and we will not tolerate it at any cost.”
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