The Uttar Pradesh electricity department on Thursday filed an FIR for irregularities in electricity usage at the premises of Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal Zia Ur Rehman. The electricity department is also preparing to file an FIR in a case of threatening the electricity department officials who went to check the electricity meter at the MP's house.
The electricity department team reached Zia ur Rehman Bark's house to check the load of the new meters at the MP's residence.
Earlier, the electricity department flagged irregularities in electricity usage at the premises of Rehman's home.
What was the issue?
Superintendent Engineer Vinod Kumar of the electricity department told reporters that there are two electricity connections at the MP's premises.
"One is a two-kilowatt connection registered under MP Zia Ur Rehman's name, located in the front of the property. The second one is another two-kilowatt connection under the name of his grandfather, Shafiqur Rahman Barq," Kumar said.
"The name on the second meter was not updated after his grandfather's death. We are now sealing that meter and issuing a notice for a laboratory examination of its status. The examination will be conducted in the presence of parties concerned, and the process will be video-recorded for transparency," he added.
The official also claimed that there were billing discrepancies in the MP's electricity usage. "Over the last six months, the bill for the MP's meter has consistently shown zero usage. The only exception was in June when a usage of 13 units was recorded. From July to November, the meter showed zero unit consumption," Kumar told reporters.
When asked about security measures, Kumar added, "Security personnel were present in the area during inspections. However, residents in the lanes often oppose such checks, leading to protests."
This scrutiny comes amid ongoing police investigations against Zia Ur Rehman and others in connection with violent clashes that took place on November 24 in Sambhal over a court-ordered survey of the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid in the Kot Garvi area of the city.
