A flying squad detected the power theft in March 2021 at a construction site of Sanjay Gaikwad. (File)
A realty developer, who recently bought a Rolls Royce car worth Rs 8 crore, was booked by the Thane police in a case of alleged electricity theft of around Rs 35,000, which prompted him to pay the entire amount.
Based on a complaint of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL or Mahavitaran), the police in Kalyan town had registered a case of power theft against the developer, Sanjay Gaikwad, on June 30, the state-run power utility said.
On July 12, Gaikwad paid a sum of Rs 49,840, which included Rs 34,840 towards "power theft" and Rs 15,000 as "settlement amount", MSEDCL said in a release on Monday night.
The developer owns high-end cars and recently purchased a Rolls Royce worth around Rs 8 crore. A photo of Gaikwad standing besides his new car had appeared on social media last month.
According to the release, during raids on construction sites in Kalyan, a case of power pilferage came to light wherein power was being drawn without installing a meter.
A flying squad detected the power theft in March 2021 at a construction site of Gaikwad, it said.
Despite notices, Gaikwad did not pay the amount which was due after which a case of power theft was registered against him, MSEDCL said.
Following the registration of the case, the developer paid the entire amount on Monday, it said.
Taking to the media, Gaikwad said it was a "technical issue" but Mahavitaran had publicized it to defame him.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)