Manikandan, a resident of Kosavampalayam near Tirupur, was involved in a fake electric meter installation and was involved in a fraud. The electricity board has also instructed them to file a complaint.
Tirupur: The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board has warned the public not to be duped by those indulging in extortion hunt in Dharapuram, Palladam and Avinashi by installing fake electricity meters.
Manikandan, a tailor from Kosavampalayam, he had applied to the Palladam electricity board office seeking electricity connection to his house. The electricity board officials had sought a no-objection certificate for the same.
In this case, a person who came to his house as an employee of the electricity board installed an electric meter and asked him to pay Rs 6,000. He allegedly bought the survey card of the electricity board from the man and asked him to come and collect the receipt from the office.
Manikandan went to the electricity board office and asked for a receipt in this regard. Manikandan realised that he had been cheated only after the electricity board officials gave an explanation.
Following this, Manikandan lodged a complaint with the Palladam police station regarding the incident. Complaints have been lodged at police stations in Avinashi and Dharapuram that similar frauds have taken place.
Dharapuram Electricity Board Executive Engineer Balan said, people who are not working in the electricity board are indulging in fraud by stating that they are an official of the electricity board and have applied for electricity connection and have been allotted electricity meters to the pending applicants.
The public should not be deceived by such fraudsters. All power consumers in Dharapuram division should keep the electricity meters fitted on the electricity connections provided to them safely.
If anyone comes on suspicion of installing an electric meter, they can lodge a complaint by contacting the Executive Engineer, Dharapuram on 944 58 51 562. Thus he said.