ELECTRICITY THEFT CASES IN PUNJAB

 SUMMARY

1. Cases Pending Before 01.01.2023: 9278 (P1)

2. New Cases Lodged From 01.01.2023 Onward: 11824 (N)
3. Total Cases Till 31.08.2023: 21102 (T) (P1+N)
4. Total Disposed of Cases: 11491 (Dsp) (Cons+C+A+AB+CN)
(54.45% of Total Cases)
A. Consigned to Record Cases: 2986 (Cons)

25.98% of Total Disposed of Cases

14.15% of Total Cases

B. Total Decided Cases: 8440 (D) (C+A)

73.45% of Total Disposed of Cases
40% of Total Cases

a) Conviction Cases: 7921 (C) (I+P+F)

68.93% of Total Disposed of Cases
93.85% of Total Decided Cases
37.54% of Total Cases

i. Imprisonment Cases : 273 (I)

03.45% of Total Convicted Cases
03.23% of Total Decided Cases
02.38% of Total Disposed of Cases

ii. Probation Cases: 3974 (P)

50.17% of Total Convicted Cases
47.09% of Total Decided Cases
34.58% of Total Disposed of Cases

iii. Fine Cases: 3674 (F)

46.38% of Total Convicted Cases
43.53% of Total Decided Cases
31.97% of Total Disposed of Cases

b) Acquittal Cases: 519 (A) = (M+O)

 04.51% of Total Disposed of Cases
06.15% of Total Decided Cases
02.46% of Total Cases

i. Merit Cases: 338 (M)

65.13% of Total Acquitted Cases
4% of Total Decided Cases
2.94% of Total Disposed of Cases

ii. Other (249A/265K) Acquittal Cases: 181 (O) = (R+DE)

34.87% of Total Acquitted Cases
2.14% of Total Decided Cases
1.58% of Total Disposed of Cases

 Resiling Cases: 118 (R)

22.74% of Total Acquitted Cases
 Due to Deficient Evidence Cases: 63 (DE)
12.14% of Total Acquitted Cases
C. Cancellation Reports Accepted by Court: 45 Reports (CN)
0.21% of Total Cases
D. Proceeding Abated Cases : 20 (AB)
5. Pending Cases Now: 9611 (P2)
(45.54% of Total Cases)
P2-P1 = 333 cases increased pendency in 8 months

 ANALYSIS OF DATA

I. Dsp is 54.45%, which is just average.

II. Cons cases are 25.98%, which are above par.
III. Other acquittal (34.87% of Acquittal) cases are too high, which highlights defective
investigation of cases.
IV. Acquittal cases owing to resiling of PWs are alarming (22.74% of Acquittal). How an
official PW can resile from his previous stance.
 V. 45 cancellation reports were agreed by the court, Figure is shocking ipso facto. How
a criminal case initiated on the basis of complaint lodged by a public servant could
be false.
VI. Conviction rate is too low.
VII. Probation cases are too high, it may encourage the criminals.
VIII. Although acquitted cases on the basis of merit is low, however, it indicates that
official PWs deposed contradictory statements before court, which is required to be
improved by the help of Prosecutor concerned and PWs. PWs need to be trained
and educated to depose evidence in line with erstwhile recorded version.
IX. Pendency (P2) has increased in 8 months, which urges that fixed cases are required
to be followed more diligently.

 MATTER NEEDED TO BE PROBED

I. 4 cases have been shown to be convicted where imprisonment was awarded below
7 than years and more than 3 years u/s 464-J PPC. However, imprisonment provided
for section 462-J in the law is up to 2 years. How was imprisonment awarded more
than 2 years in these cases. Details of these cases is under:
 Faisalabad District = 01 case, Vehari District = 03 cases
II. 45 cancellation reports were agreed by the court. Figure is shocking ipso facto. How
a criminal case initiated on the basis of complaint lodged by a public servant (BS-17)
could be false and liable to be cancelled. Either it was declared false by the police or
it was reported false one. In either case it tantamount to misconduct by public
servant. These cancellation reports were accepted in the following districts;
Kasur 01, Nankana Sahib 05, Bahawalpur 01, RY Khan 01, Gujranwala 01,
Hafizabad 01, Narowal 02, Sialkot 02, Sargodha 05, Attock 01, TT Singh 01,
Muzaffargarh 13, Multan 03, Lodhran 02, Sahiwal 03, Okara 02, Pakpattan 01.
III. Cases acquitted u/s 249A & 265K CrPC by the courts are 34.87% of total acquitted
cases. 63 cases (out of 519) were acquitted on the basis of defective evidence, which
 constitute 12.14% of total acquitted cases. It highlights defective investigation of
cases. Mater may be probed as to why these cases were investigated too poorly?
These cases were acquitted in the following districts:
Chinot 11, Kasur 9, MB Din 8, RY Khan 6, Sahiwal 5, Muzaffargarh 4, Rajanpur 4,
Okara 3, Faisalabad 2, Attock 2, Gujrat 2, Gujranwala 2, Sheikhupura 1, Sargodha 1,
Rawalpindi 1, Khanewal 1, Pakpattan 1
IV. Acquittal cases (118 out of 519) owing to resiling of PWs are alarming and constitute
22.74% of total acquitted cases. How an official PW can resile from his previous
recorded stance. Following is the detail of district wise resiling cases:
Sr No Name of District Number Detail of cases
of Cases
1. Lahore 1 462-i
2. Kasur 2 462-i
3. Nankana 1 462-i
4. Bahawalnagar 2 462-i, 462-j
5. Hafizabad 2 462-i, 462-M
6. MB Din 4 462-i
7. Narowal 1 462-i
8. Sargodha 5 462-i (1), 462-i (4)
9. Faisalabad 3 462-i
10. Chiniot 1 462-H
11. TT Sing 1 462-i
12. DG Khan 3 462-M
13. Layyah 2 462-i
14. Rajanpur 2 462-i
15. Lodhran 1 462-M
16. Vehari 6 462-j
17. Jhang 66 462-i (6), 462-j (59), 462-M (1)
18. Sahiwal 15 462-i

X TOTAL 118 462-H (1), 462-i (25), 462-j (82), 462-M (10)
 V. Why the official PWs deposed contradictory statements before court during trial.
VI. Section 462-M is a heinous offence where imprisonment provided under the law is
up to 7 years. However, only 56 out of 489 cases under this section were resulted
into conviction, while 39 cases were acquitted. Moreover, 10 (out of 39) cases of this
section were acquitted due to resiling of PWs while 4 (out of 39) cases were
acquitted on the basis of defective investigation. Detail of cases is given below;
Due to defective evidence Bahawalnagar 2, Attock 1, Muzaffargarh 1
Due to resiling Sargodha 4, DG Khan 3, Hafizabad/Lodhran/Jhang 1
VII. Following districts have conviction ratio of below 50%, matter may be probed to dig
out reasons of low conviction rate:
Below 30% Above 30% but Below 50%
Sr No District %age Sr No District %age
1. Rawalpindi 01.85 12. Sahiwal 32.04
2. Jhelum 10.34 13. TT Singh 3486
3. RY Khan 13.49 14. Gujrat 35.83
4. Lahore 19.31 15. Kasur 38.33
5. Chakwal 21.62 16. MB Din 39.06
6. Layyah 26.56 17. Muzaffargarh 39.49
7. DG Khan 26.63 18. Multan 41.11
8. Sheikhupura 28.34 19. Sargodha 42.59
9. Gujranwala 28.49 20. Narowal 42.91
10. Faisalabad 29.84 21. Bahawalnagar 49.10
11. Lodhran 29.86
Note: Conviction rate under section 39-A EA is only 0.49%.
VIII. Pendency has increased in following districts/divisions:
District/division Previous Now
Lahore division 3657 4253
 Sahiwal division 209 267
Gujranwala division 1546 1628
Lahore district 2934 3567

Following districts have pendency of 400 or above on 31.08.2023:

Lahore 3567, Gujranwala 757, RY Khan 680, TT Singh 447, Narowal 434, Sheikhupura 415