JUDGMENT

A.K. SIKRI, J.

1. Leave granted.

2. A pure question of law which arises for consideration is: whether the amendment in Section 151of the Electricity Act, 2003 (hereinafter referred to as the Act] which empowers the Court to take cognizance of an offence upon a report made by the police under Section 173 of the Code of Civil Procedure [hereinafter referred to as the Code], would be applicable to the pending complaints filed before the aforesaid amendment. To answer this question, scope and interpretation of Section 151, as it stood prior to the amendment, also needs to be considered.

This issue has arisen in the following set of facts:

3. The respondent, viz. Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board (hereinafter to be referred as the 'Board') is the supplier of electricity in the State of Chhattisgarh. The appellants are the consumers of the Electricity and getting supply thereof through the Electricity connection provided by the Board. As per the Board, the appellants were found committing theft of the electricity which was revealed on 23.3.2006 when the Electricity meter of the appellant was inspected by the Inspection Team of the Board. It transpired that instead of the approved