Power bill demand of Rs 1.91 crore ‘wholly unnatural and arbitrary', Allahabad High Court gives relief to Sambhal MP, directs that electricity supply be restored
The Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) to restore power supply at the house of Sambhal Member of Parliament, Zia Ur Rehman Barq.
In a significant relief to the Samajwadi Party MP, the Allahabad High Court also stayed the operation of an electricity bill demand of Rs 1.91 crore raised by the UPPCL, terming it 'wholly unnatural and arbitrary', in its June 4 order.
The matter was heard by a division bench comprising Justices Saumitra Dayal Singh and Sandeep Jain. The court was hearing a writ petition filed by the Sambhal MP challenging the assessment order dated May 15, 2025. The court also directed the restoration of the electricity connection, subject to a deposit of Rs 6 lakh and timely payment of future bills.
'Subject to the petitioner depositing Rs.6 lakhs within a period of two weeks from Wednesday, the effect and operation of order dated 15.05.2025, shall remain stayed and the electricity connection of the petitioner, that may have been temporarily disconnected, may be restored forthwith and be maintained subject to timely payment of future bills,' read the court order.
Barq was represented by advocates Bidhan Chandra Rai and Stuti Rai, who argued that the UPPCL lacked jurisdiction to assess electricity usage for 'a period of 12 years', asserting that the maximum permissible assessment period under the law is one year.
'Submission is that even if the inspection report and adverse facts allegedly found therein are accepted, no jurisdiction arose with the respondent authorities to make assessment for a period of 12 years,' the court order read.
The order further said that the maximum period for which assessment may have been made could not exceed one year. 'By breaching the statutory period of assessment, wholly unnatural and arbitrary demand of Rs.1 crore 91 lacs has been raised. The petitioner cannot be made to deposit 50% of such illegal demand to maintain an appeal,' said the order passed on June 4.
The court granted three weeks to the UPPCL to respond and fixed the date of next hearing as July 2, 2025.
The fine was imposed on the MP after allegations of power theft at his residence, on December 19. On the same day, he was charged with large scale electricity theft and the power supply to his residence was disconnected.
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