18-Year Jail For Power Theft: Supreme Court Cuts It, "Can't Equate With Murder"
NDTV
Arrested in 2019, Iqram was convicted in 2020 after trial court held separate trials for 9 FIRs, handing him 2-year jail terms to run consecutively
The Supreme Court today slashed an 18-year jail sentence given to a UP man for electricity theft to two years saying that "the liberty of a citizen would be abrogated" if this wasn't done. It also said the High Court should already have "noticed the serious miscarriage of justice".
The man in jail, identified only as Iqram, is set to walk free as he has already served three years, after a trial court had handed him nine two-year sentences to run consecutively.
"If we do not act in matters of personal liberty and grant relief then what are we doing here?" remarked Chief Justice DY Chandrachud during the hearing.
To the UP government lawyer opposing the man's request, the Chief Justice said: "You can't equate theft of electricity to a murder."
