Tripura HC has ordered TSECL to immediately restore electricity to three Banamalipur flats and imposed Rs 2,000 penalties in each case, ruling against disconnection amid a property dispute between apartment owners, a developer and landowner Minister Pranajit Singha Roy.
The Tripura High Court has directed the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) to immediately restore electricity connections to three flats at Binayak Apartment Complex in Banamalipur, Agartala, providing relief to residents who had been deprived of power amid an ongoing property dispute.
The order was passed by Justice T. Amarnath Goud while hearing three separate writ petitions filed by the affected flat owners. The petitioners approached the High Court after their electricity connections were disconnected despite their claims that they had been regularly paying their electricity bills.
The High Court not only directed TSECL to restore the power supply forthwith, but also imposed a penalty of Rs 2,000 in each of the three writ petitions. The action by the court reflects its concern over the manner in which the electricity connections were disconnected.
According to the petitioners, the electricity disconnection was linked to a dispute involving the developer and the landowner, Minister Pranajit Singha Roy. The dispute is reportedly pending before civil and consumer forums. The flat owners argued that they should not be deprived of essential electricity services because of a dispute between other parties.
The petitioners’ legal team included senior advocates Purushottam Roy Barman and Debalay Bhattacharjee, along with lawyers Samarjit Bhattacharjee, Kaushik Nath, Dipjyoti Pal and Samar Das. They argued before the court that TSECL had disconnected the legally sanctioned electricity connections under pressure and without following due process.
The petitioners maintained that the electricity connections were legitimate and that the residents had fulfilled their obligations by paying their bills. They therefore challenged the corporation’s decision to disconnect the supply, arguing that essential services should not be affected by disputes concerning ownership, development or property rights.
The High Court’s direction has brought immediate relief to the residents of the three flats, who had reportedly been living without electricity for weeks. The court’s order also places greater scrutiny on the role of electricity authorities when disputes involving developers, landowners and apartment purchasers arise.
The case has highlighted a broader issue concerning the protection of apartment buyers and residents when property-related disputes remain pending before appropriate legal forums. The judgment indicates that electricity supply, as an essential service, cannot simply be disrupted without proper justification and adherence to established procedures.
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The court has also sought an explanation from TSECL regarding its actions. The Rs 2,000 penalty imposed in each case serves as a judicial reprimand over the corporation’s handling of the matter.
For the Banamalipur residents, the immediate priority is the restoration of electricity. The High Court’s intervention is expected to provide temporary relief while the underlying property dispute continues to be addressed before the relevant civil and consumer forums.
