Power theft squad visits Kamal Haasan's lawyer's house

Chennai, Jan 30 (IANS) The state anti-power theft squad visited actor Kamal Haasan's lawyer's house Wednesday hours after a court reimposed a ban on the film-maker's movie in Tamil Nadu. 

Officials of Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Ltd. (TANGEDCO) from the anti-power theft wing barged into lawyer P.S. Raman's house to check power theft. 

"The visit by TANGEDCO officials and my appearing for Kamal Haasan in the 'Vishwaroopam' ban case is not linked.  Perhaps it was bad timing of the squad to inspect my residence on the pretext of checking power theft," Raman told IANS. 

A single-judge bench of the Madras High Court had Tuesday lifted the ban on Haasan's movie "Vishwaroopam".  A two-judge bench of the high court Wednesday reimposed the ban on the movie. 

Raman argued against the ban on the movie in the high court for Haasan. 

He said the power theft issue was resolved after senior officials of TANGEDCO intervened and apologised. 

"Their contention was that I am paying domestic tariff while using my residence as an office.  I told them that for the past 50 years my office has been in my house," Raman, former advocate general of Tamil Nadu, said. 

Raman's father, late V.P. Raman, was also a former advocate general of Tamil Nadu. 

According to the manager at Raman's office, around 10 TANGEDCO officials barged into the house. 

"They checked the power meter and the wiring.  We told them to send their notice in writing and that they could not just barge into a senior advocate's house," the manager told IANS. 

He said the officials were at Raman's residence for around 45 minutes.