Appeal against the decree and judgment passed in A.S.No.422 of 2005, dated 23.02.2006 on the file of the III Additional Judge, City Civil Court, Chennai, confirming the decree and judgment passed in O.S.No.1474 of 2003, dated 16.02.2005, on the file of the XIV Assistant Judge, City Civil Court, Chennai.

The plaintiff in O.S.No.1474 of 2003 on the file of the XIV Assistant Judge, City Civil Court, Chennai, who has lost the suit and the appeal filed therefrom has filed the above second appeal.

2. For the sake of convenience, the parties are referred to as arrayed in the suit.

3. The brief facts that are necessary for the disposal of the above second appeal as culled out from the plaint are set out below:-

The plaintiff has been provided with two electricity service connection meters, bearing service connection Nos.152:01:1273 and 152:01:1274. In said meters, Service Connection No.152:01:1274 became defective and a complaint was lodged on 26.06.2001, but the defective meter was not at all replaced. On 03.05.2002, at about 1.00 pm, the third defendant inspected the said defective service connection meter, without giving any notice of inspection and theft of electrical energ