IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE OF ANDHRAPRADESH AT HYDERABAD HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE SAMUDRALA GOVINDARAJULU CRIMINAL PETITION No.4726 of 2010 DATE: 20.10.2011 Between: Kollu Ramakrishna Srinivas @ Ramakrishna …… Petitioner And The State of A.P rep. by its Public Prosecutor, High Court of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad …..Respondent HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE SAMUDRALA GOVINDARAJULU CRIMINAL PETITION No.4726 of 2010 ORDER : The petitioner is accused of offences punishable under Sections 135 and 138 of The Electricity Act, 2003. The petitioner is running a poultry farm at Jaggampet of East Godavari District. It is alleged that the petitioner was indulging in pilferage of electrical energy by tampering with meter seal and making the meter disfunctional. Value of pilfered energy was assessed by the engineers at Rs.1,80,440/-. After receiving provisional notice of demand of the said amount, the petitioner is stated to have filed appeal before the Superintending Engineer and obtained stay by paying part of the demanded amount. While denying tampering of meter and its seals, the petitioner contends that he is a rustic villager and that in any event he is ready to compound the offence with the department after his appeal against the provisional assessment of pilfered energy is disposed of. Having regard to the allegations in the inspection report, this Court does not find any reason to quash F.I.R in this case at its threshold. 2) In the result, the petition is dismissed. However, the investigating officer is directed to file final report/charge sheet in this case after the disposal of appeal before the appellate authority against the provisional assessment order and after giving opportunity to the petitioner to compound the offence by paying appropriate amount; and not to arrest him in the meanwhile. _______________________________ SAMUDRALA GOVINDARAJULU, J October 20, 2011 ksh