An offence has been registered against a house owner for allegedly stealing electricity worth more than Rs 5.5 lakh in Thane city, the police said on Sunday. An offence under relevant provisions of the Indian Electricity Act has been registered against the alleged accused who owns a bungalow in Desai village area, a police officer said.

While conducting an inspection in the area, officials from the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) found that power had been stolen between May 2022 and May 2023 directly from the electricity pole bypassing the meter, he said.