Harisankar V. Menon, J.

The unsuccessful petitioners in W.P.(C) No.11975 of 2025 are the appellants herein.

2. The respondent is stated to be a High-Tension consumer (hereinafter referred to as the ‘consumer’) under the jurisdiction of the 2^nd appellant. The respondent has been running a hospital at Kottakkal, Malappuram, with a sanctioned connected load of 1015.896 kW and contract demand of 300 kVA. On the basis of an inspection of the premises of the respondent on 17.10.2022, allegedly leading to the detection of an unauthorised additional load of 683 kW, pursuant to a provisional assessment order, Ext.P3 – final assessment order was issued, demanding an amount of Rs.1,58,75,161/-. The respondent filed an appeal under the provisions of the Electricity Act, 2003 , (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Act’), essentially contending that, as early as in 2019 itself, he had sought for an enhancement in the connected load by filing an appropriate application and it is without taking note of this, the allegation as regards the unauthorised load was raised. The Appellate Author