whistle blower still powerless at home, False charges of power theft.

PPATIALA: The wait to get a power connection at home seems unending for the whistleblower who exposed the corruption by the PSPCL officials following which they faced suspension. Ashok Kumar Ahuja, the whistleblower, a resident of Rajpura, is forced to live in darkness in the power surplus state for over 12 years as the power
corporation did not provide the power connection to his alone house out of over four dozen houses constructed in his colony. These houses have been raised in Green City Phase 1 and all are constructed in violation of the norms. However, the power corporation had provided them with all the power connections.
All these illegally raised houses have started coming into existence since 2006 near the high extension wires of the PSPCL thus putting a number of lives at a high risk. Among these houses, Ashok Kumar is also a resident. He claimed he was not
provided the connection of power by the officials as he failed to pay the bribe for it.
With this, his woes begin. He was once provided the power supply through a wire from his neighbour but the same was
disconnected after he allegedly failed to pay the bribe. He then started fighting with the corruption and lodged complaints with the PSPCL and district administrative officials regarding new power connections being given to other houses in his colony. This irked the power officials who started harassing Ashok and slapped him with false charges of power theft. An FIR was lodged against him under sections of power theft in December 2012. Ashok fought the legal battle and won the case as the local court acquitted him of false power theft charges in 2015.However, the Ashok continued his fight against the officials who were suspended from a period of 2013 to 2015. Ashok claimed that he found in the RTI reply from PSPCL that the suspended officials were reinstated after some time but the inquiry against them is still pending.
“I had met senior most PSPCL officials who admitted that a wrong was done to him and people were living at high risk under the high extension wires. However, I am given only verbal assurance. I then approached the vigilance department that claimed they will register the case against the PSPCL officials only if they are given a nod from senior police officials. This is a mockery of the legal system as the officials of power-corporation were chargesheeted after suspension but the inquiry is still pending”, said Ashok.
Sub-divisional officer, PSPCL, Dharamvir is investigating into the file of Ashok who is seeking power connection. He said, “The officials were chargesheeted following the complaints of Ashok. We have asked him to alter his building and the connection will be provided to him but he had not altered a part of his house.[Courtesy:The times of India]