In Brief
In this criminal appeal, the Supreme Court addressed whether offences under Section 138 of the Electricity Act 1910—which penalises maliciously injuring electric meters—could be compounded alongside Section 135 offences (theft of electricity) under Section 152. The High Court had compounded only the Section 135 charge, refusing to compound Section 138 on the ground that it did not directly relate to theft. The Supreme Court held that Section 138 does relate to theft of electricity, albeit indirectly, and therefore falls within Section 152's scope. Reading 'an' as 'any' in Section 152, the Court concluded that any offence relating to theft of electricity is compoundable. The appeal was allowed and the High Court's judgment set aside.
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