5 Palli Bidyut staff sued for tampering with meter
Five staff of Kalapara regional office of Patuakhali Palli Bidyut Samity (PBS) have been sued on charge of demanding bribe from a consumer's family and tampering with the electric meter.
The accused are Md Liakat Ali Khan, deputy general manager, Md Habibur Rahman, office coordinator, Chabiratul Mamota, bill maker, Abdul Mannan Mia, billing clerk, Md Rafiqul Islam, reading clerk, and Md Faruque, linesman of Kalapara regional office of REB.
One Md Zakir Hossain of Kalapara municipality area in the district on Sunday filed the case with Kalapara Upazila Judicial Magistrate's Court.
Chief Judicial Magistrate Hakim Md Anisur Rahman fixed the next date on February 23 for judicial inquiry.
According to the case statement, Abdul Karim Howlader, father of the plaintiff, is a consumer of REB and his meter No is 500043879. He pays bill regularly.
He paid bill of Tk 768 for using 70 units in December last year. But REB office issued a bill of Tk 9,463 for 915 units for January that seemed ghostly.
Later, Abdul Karim submitted a prayer to DGM Liakat Ali for reexamination of the bill.
On January 4, Md Habibur Rahman, office coordinator, Chabiratul Mamota, billing maker, Abdul Mannan Mia, billing clerk, and Md Rafiqul Islam jointly visited the spot and demanded bribe from Jahangir Alam, son of Abdul Karim, saying that they will reduce the bill.
They became angry and threatened Karim's family men as they refused to give the money.
“They also increased reading of the meter by tampering it. The officials threatened of cases to family men as they protested the matter,” goes the case statement.
Contacted, DGM Liakat Ali said charges for some units had been due as the bill maker prepared bill for November and December without seeing proper reading and the due was added with the bill of January.
There is no scope to tamper a digital meter, he claimed.
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