ORDER :

1. As common issues are involved in both these writ petitions, with the consent of the parties, both petitions were heard together and are decided by way of this common order. SBCWP No. 352/2008 titled as JVVNL Vs. Rajendra Prasad & Anr is taken as lead file to peruse the facts.

2. Petitioners have challenged the awards dated 09.10.2007 and 14.11.2007 passed by Permanent Lok Adalat (in short “PLA”), Dholpur, in C.M. No. 107/2007 titled as ‘Rajendra Prasad Sharma Vs. Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited’; and award dated 01.02.2008 passed by PLA in Case No. 138/2007 titled as ‘ Sher Khan vs. Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited’, on the ground that the PLA had no jurisdiction to entertain an application filed under Section 22C of Legal Services Authority Act, 1987 (in short “Act of 1987”) in a case where consumer of electricity has been asked to pay for theft of electricity.

3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that an inspection was carried out at the premises of the petitioner on 27.09.2007 in the presence of the respondent and it was observed that the electricity meter was tampered with, and that the body seal and terminal seal was found broken. Such tampering amounted