Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has detected 27,964 power theft cases across Maharashtra between June and August 2026, with assessment bills worth Rs 66.28 crore issued in 24,508 verified cases, the utility said in an official statement on Thursday.
The enforcement campaign combined artificial intelligence-based predictive analysis, machine learning and physical inspections to identify suspected electricity theft and recover outstanding dues. MSEDCL said more than 190 flying squads were deployed across the state to follow leads generated by its newly developed AI and machine learning module.
The AI system analyses more than 50 technical parameters continuously, including historical electricity consumption, sudden changes in demand and anomalies that may indicate meter tampering. Consumers whose usage patterns are classified as unusual are identified as high-risk cases, allowing enforcement teams to focus inspections on specific locations rather than relying solely on extensive manual surveys.
MSEDCL said its enforcement process has also been digitised through the Theft Tracking and Monitoring System, or TTMS, mobile application. Inspection details, live photographs, digital panchnamas, immediate disconnection records and penalty recovery information are uploaded to the application in real time. According to the utility, the system is intended to improve transparency and reduce the scope for negligence during enforcement action.
The Konkan region recorded the highest number of cases during the three-month campaign, with 11,083 detections. Nagpur reported 5,949 cases, followed by Pune with 5,849 and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar with 5,083 cases. The four regions together account for the full state-wide total reported by MSEDCL.
Of the 24,508 verified cases for which assessment bills were issued, MSEDCL said it had recovered Rs 29.85 crore from 10,810 settled cases. The utility warned that consumers who fail to pay assessed electricity charges and applicable compounding fees within the stipulated period could face legal action.
MSEDCL said 289 criminal cases had been registered under Section 135 of the Electricity Act against alleged offenders who had not cleared their dues. Electricity theft is punishable under the law and may attract financial penalties and imprisonment of up to three years, depending on the circumstances of the offence.
Lokesh Chandra, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister and Chairman and Managing Director of MSEDCL, said the company was targeting a reduction in Aggregate Technical and Commercial losses to below 10 per cent over the next three years. He said the utility was prioritising recovery of outstanding dues and had launched an aggressive campaign against electricity theft across Maharashtra.
MSEDCL said the integration of AI-based detection, field inspections and real-time digital monitoring marked a shift from conventional survey-based enforcement. The utility’s stated next steps are continued recovery of assessed dues and further action against consumers who do not comply with payment requirements.
