SRINAGAR: GC Murmu, lieutenant governor of Jammu & Kashmir, in consultation with the Jammu &

high court has empowered courts of principal district and sessions judges to try all electricity-related offences like power theft, theft of cables and material, and negligently damaging works.

The

Act became applicable to the UT from October 31, 2019.

“In exercise of powers of sub-section (1) (2) and (3) of Section 153 of Electricity Act, the Lieutenant Governor of

of Jammu & Kashmir in consultation with the common High Court of Jammu & Kashmir as special court for trial of offences under the aforesaid Act within their territorial jurisdiction,” the notification issued by the UT government recently said.

The notification would be deemed to have come into effect from October 31, 2019. Before the re-organisation of J&K, the state government had empowered judicial magistrates for trial of electricity-related offences under J&K Electricity Act, 2010.

J&K Electricity Act was replaced by the Central Electricity Act of 2003 after Parliament approved the bifurcation of J&K into two UTs on August 5.

Under the central electricity law, a person will not qualify for appointment as a judge of a special court for trial of electricity offences unless he was, immediately before such appointment, an additional district and sessions judge.