A consumer court in Karachi on Thursday slapped a Rs120,000 fine on Karachi Electric for failing to provide a new power connection to a resident who had applied for one three years ago.

The judge ordered KE authorities, including its chairperson, chief executive officer and area manager of Johar-II office, to pay Rs70,000 to complainant Asadullah Mahesar, who had filed the petition, for causing mental agony and cost of litigation. Furthermore, Rs50,000 will have to be paid to the national kitty. The firm is supposed to pay the fine within 30 days, the court said.

The court warned that if KE does not pay the fine, the responsible people can be sentenced to a month in prison — which can be extended to three years — be slapped with a fine of Rs50,000 — which can extend to Rs200,000 — or both as per Section 33(2) of the Sindh Consumer Protection Act, 2014.

The guilty were also told to submit a report regarding compliance with the order in court on December 19.

Mahesar, in his petition, had said that he had applied for a new power connection in 2017 and had fulfilled all formalities. However, the firm did not assign him a new connection despite multiple visits to KE's office.