Anupam Dasgupta, Member—This revision petition challenges the order dated 21.11.2006 of the Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Delhi (in short, ‘the State Commission’) in First Appeal No. 1014 of 2006. By this order, the State Commission held, inter alia, that a dispute falling within the purview of section 135 of the Electricity Act, 2003 (theft of electricity/dishonest abstraction of electrical energy) would also constitute a “consumer dispute” as defined in section 2(1)(e) of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (in short, ‘the Act’).

2. The facts of the case are that an inspection team of the petitioner’s visited the premises of the respondent/complainant on 26.10.2005 and found several irregularities, including broken plastic seal on the top of the meter body wire and broken hologram seal on the right hand side of the meter body, slow running of the meter by as much as 67.5%, insertion of two illegal resistances inside the meter body to manipulate the meter recordings of consumption of energy, etc. The spot inspection reports on the meter and the connected load were prepared and the signature of the respondent obtained. Show cause notice was also issued to t