S. Muralidhar, J.

.1. The challenge in this writ petition is to a provisional bill dated 27.10.2002 issued by the Respondents raising a demand of Rs. 81,75,940.16 against connection No. XI-1849 based on an inspection dated 25.10.2002 as a result of which it was concluded that the petitioner had indulged in fraudulent abstraction of energy (FAE).

.Background facts

.2. The facts of the case are that pursuant to an agreement entered into with the erstwhile Delhi Electricity Supply Undertaking(DESU) on 18.7.1989, the petitioner was sanctioned a load of 393 KW against the aforementioned connection for industrial purposes under the tariff schedule Light/Industrial/ Power (LIP). The petitioner states that it was paying the electricity bills regularly. On 21.10.2002, the petitioner made a complaint to the Grievance Redressal Cell that the meter was running fast. On 25.10.2002, the officers of the Respondent visited the premises of the petitioner and made the following observations in their inspection report:

.(a) Connected load of 443.70 KW was noticed in use by a registered consumer for Industrial purpose.

.(b) The meter of the Petitioner was found working within permissible para