Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal, Ziaur Rahman Barq, on Tuesday deposited ₹6 lakh with the electricity department following the High Court’s interim order, leading to the restoration of power at his residence in Deepa Sarai.
The case stems from an incident on December 17, 2024, when a smart meter was installed at Barq’s house. Merely two days later, on December 19, officials from the electricity department conducted a load inspection and alleged that Barq was drawing over 16 kilowatts of electricity — well above the sanctioned limit. Officials also claimed that for several months, the smart meter showed zero consumption, triggering suspicions of electricity theft.
A fine of ₹1.91 crore was imposed and a case was registered. Despite receiving multiple notices, Barq did not respond, eventually leading him to approach the High Court.
On June 3, the High Court directed Barq to deposit ₹6 lakh as an interim amount, following which his power connection was to be restored.
Barq’s advocate, Farid Ahmed, reached the local powerhouse on Tuesday and submitted a demand draft of ₹6 lakh. "The court had directed us to deposit ₹6 lakh first to get the connection restored. We have submitted that today and hope the power supply will resume soon," Ahmed said.
Confirming the development, Executive Engineer Naveen Gautam stated, "Action was taken based on a complaint of power theft at the MP's premises. Today, a demand draft of ₹6 lakh has been deposited as per the court's direction. His power connection is being restored today itself."
