1. The judgment, dated 23.07.2010 in S.C.No.1 of 2010, on the file Special Judge for Trial of Offences under Indian Electricity Act (I Additional Sessions Judge), Guntur ("Special Judge" for short), is under challenge in the present appeal filed by the appellant. The unsuccessful accused in S.C.No.1 of 2010 who faced charges under S.135 and S.138(b) of the Electricity Act, 2003 against whom conviction was recorded under S.135(b) of the , filed the present appeal.

2. The parties to this appeal will hereinafter be referred to as described before the learned Special Judge for the sake of convenience.

3. The case of the prosecution, in brief as set out in the charge sheet filed in Crime No.1084 of 2009 of Anti Power Theft Squad Police Station, Guntur, is as follows:
(i) On 28.05.2009 at 1-20 p.m., L.W.1 - K. Venkata Krishna, Divisional Engineer, D.P.E., Guntur, along with L.W.2 - V. Hari Kiran, Assistant Engineer, DPE - 2, Guntur, L.W.3 - N.M. Prasad, Assistant Engineer, DPE - 1, Guntur and L.W.4 - B. Srinivasa Rao, Lineman, Operation, Ponnur Town Section, inspected service connection of SC No.4547, Cat.I at Bhavanagar Colony, Ponnur Town. The accused is the registered consumer of the