law: Electricity Act, 2003
  135. Theft of
  
  electricity.-
  
  1.     
  
    Whoever,
  
  dishonestly,-
  a.      taps, makes or causes
  
  to be made any connection with overhead, underground or under water lines or
  
  cables, or service wires, or service facilities of a licensee or supplier, as
  
  the case may be; or
  b.     tampers a meter,
  
  installs or uses a tampered meter, current reversing transformer, loop
  
  connection or any other device or method which interferes with accurate or
  
  proper registration, calibration or metering of electric current or otherwise
  
  results in a manner whereby electricity is stolen or wasted; or
  c.      damages or destroys
  
  an electric meter, apparatus, equipment, or wire or causes or allows any of
  
  them to be so damaged or destroyed as to interfere with the proper or accurate
  
  metering of electricity; or
  d.     uses electricity
  
  through a tampered meter; or
  e.      uses electricity for
  
  the purpose other than for which the usage of electricity was authorised, so as
  
  to abstract or consume or use electricity shall be punishable with imprisonment
  
  for a term which may extend to three years or with fine or with both:
  Provided
  
  that  
  
  in a case where the load abstracted, consumed, or used or attempted abstraction
  
  or attempted consumption or attempted use-
                       
  
   i.        
  
    does
  
  not exceed 10 kilowatt, the fine imposed on first conviction shall not be less
  
  than three times the financial gain on account of such theft of electricity and
  
  in the event of second or subsequent conviction the fine imposed shall not be
  
  less than six times the financial gain on account of such theft of electricity;
                      
  
   ii.        
  
    exceeds
  
  10 kilowatt, the fine imposed on first conviction shall not be less than three
  
  times the financial gain on account of such theft of electricity and in the
  
  event of second or subsequent conviction, the sentence shall be imprisonment
  
  for a term not less than six months, but which may extend to five years and
  
  with fine not less than six times the financial gain on account of such theft
  
  of electricity:
  Provided
  
  further that  
  
  in the event of second and subsequent conviction of a person where the load
  
  abstracted, consumed, or used or attempted abstraction or attempted consumption
  
  or attempted use exceeds 10 kilowatt, such person shall also be debarred from
  
  getting any supply of electricity for a period which shall not be less than
  
  three months but may extend to two years and shall also be debarred from
  
  getting supply of electricity for that period from any other source or
  
  generating station:
  Provided
  
  also that  
  
  if it is proved that any artificial means or means not authorised by the Board
  
  or licensee or supplier, as the case may be, exist for the abstraction,
  
  consumption or use of electricity by the consumer, it shall be presumed, until
  
  the contrary is proved, that any abstraction, consumption or use of electricity
  
  has been dishonestly caused by such consumer.
  1A.  
  
    Without
  
  prejudice to the provisions of this Act, the licensee or supplier, as the case
  
  may be, may, upon detection of such theft of electricity, immediately
  
  disconnect the supply of electricity:
  Provided
  
  that  
  
  only such officer of the licensee or supplier, as authorised for the purpose by
  
  the Appropriate Commission or any other officer of the licensee or supplier, as
  
  the case may be, of the rank higher than the rank so authorised shall
  
  disconnect the supply line of electricity:
  Provided
  
  further that  
  
  such officer of the licensee or supplier, as the case may be, shall lodge a
  
  complaint in writing relating to the commission of such offence in police
  
  station having jurisdiction within twenty-four hours from the time of such
  
  disconnection:
  Provided
  
  also that  
  
  the licensee or supplier, as the case may be, on deposit or payment of the
  
  assessed amount or electricity charges in accordance with the provisions of
  
  this Act, shall, without prejudice to the obligation to lodge the complaint as
  
  referred to in the second proviso to this clause, restore the supply line of
  
  electricity within forty-eight hours of such deposit or payment.
  2.     
  
    Any
  
  officer of the licensee or supplier as the case may be, Authorized in this
  
  behalf by the State Government may--
  a.      enter, inspect, break
  
  open and search any place or premises in which he has reason to believe that
  
  electricity has been or is being, used unauthorisedly;
  b.     search, seize and
  
  remove all such devices, instruments, wires and any other facilitator or
  
  article which has been or is being, used for unauthorised use of electricity;
  c.      examine or seize any
  
  books of account or documents which in his opinion shall be useful for or
  
  relevant to, any proceedings in respect of the offence under sub-section (1)
  
  and allow the person from whose custody such books of account or documents are
  
  seized to make copies thereof or take extracts there from in his presence.
  3.     
  
    The
  
  occupant of the place of search or any person on his behalf shall remain
  
  present during the search and a list of all things seized in the course of such
  
  search shall be prepared and delivered to such occupant or person who shall
  
  sign the list:
  Provided
  
  that  
  
  no inspection, search and seizure of any domestic places or domestic premises
  
  shall be carried out between sunset and sunrise except in the presence of an
  
  adult male member occupying such premises.
  4.     
  
    The
  
  provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974) relating to
  
  search and seizure shall apply, as far as may be, to searches and seizure under
  
  this Act.