IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATES OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH. C.W.P. No. 15343 of 2010. [O&M] Date of Decision: 06th September, 2010. Paramjit Singh & Ors. Petitioners through Mr. Amit Mehta, Advocate Versus Punjab State Power Corporation Limited & Ors. Respondents through Mr. G.S.Ghuman, Advocate. CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SURYA KANT. 1. Whether Reporters of local papers may be allowed to see the judgment? 2. To be referred to the Reporters or not? 3. Whether the judgment should be reported in the Digest? SURYA KANT, J. [ORAL] This Civil Writ Petition seeks quashing of the order dated 17.11.2009 [Annexure P-4] passed by the Additional Deputy Commissioner [General], Patiala whereby the petitioners' appeal against the notice-cum-order dated 09.11.2008 issued by the authorities of the Punjab State Electricity Board demanding a sum off Rs.4,09,961/- on account of electricity theft, has been dismissed. The petitioners are brothers who have an electric connection bearing Account No. SP83/167 to run a Workshop. The PSEB authorities served them with the impugned Memo dated 29.12.2008 [Annexure P-1] demanding a sum of Rs.4,09,961/- for the alleged electricity theft committed by them. The petitioners questioned the demand raised by the authorities and their objections were partly accepted to the extent that vide a subsequent memo dated 28.01.2009 [Annexure P-3], they were asked to deposit a sum of Rs.1,18,000/-. Still aggrieved, the petitioners preferred an appeal before the Additional Deputy Commissioner [General], Patiala who vide the impugned order dated 17.11.2009 has dismissed the same. It would be apposite the reproduce the operative part of the impugned order which reads as under:- “Arguments of both the parties have been heard and record perused. Appeal against the order of respondents is required to be filed before the Sub Divisional Magistrate and it was wrongly filed in this Court. Further the appellants have failed to produce any evidence regarding their objections. Agreeing with the counsel for the respondents, this appeal is dismissed. Record be consigned to record room. Order announced”. It may be seen that the Appellate Authority firstly held that the appeal was wrongly filed before it and the same was not maintainable but in the next breath, it dismissed the same on merits without assigning any reason. The order is self-contradictory and bereft of any reasons. It being cryptic, can not sustain in law. The writ petition is accordingly allowed to the extent that the impugned appellate order dated 17.11.2009 is set aside. However, it being the conceded position that the Sub Divisional Magistrate is the prescribed Appellate Authority, the Additional Deputy Commissioner [General], Patiala is directed to transfer the appeal records to the court of the Sub Divisional Magistrate, Patiala who shall then decide the same on merits as per law, after hearing the parties, preferably within a period of three months. Disposed of. Dasti. September 06, 2010. ( SURYA KANT ) dinesh JUDGE