Outstanding electricity-supply dues must be adjusted against consumption and demand charges before disconnection.

The petitioner sought a mandamus restraining the respondents from collecting current-consumption charges, demand charges, or arrears until they paid or adjusted ₹13,31,700 allegedly due for electricity supplied during 2025–2026.

At admission, both sides informed the Court that similar petitions had been disposed of on terms providing for adjustment of amounts due to the petitioner against its electricity charges and protection against disconnection while adjustment remained incomplete.

1. Whether the respondents should be directed to adjust the ₹13,31,700 allegedly due to the petitioner against its current-consumption and demand charges.

2. Whether the respondents should be restrained from taking coercive steps to disconnect the petitioner’s electricity supply until the amount due is fully adjusted.

Exercising its jurisdiction under Article 226, the Court followed the approach in M/s. Rajaguru Spinning Mills P. Ltd. v. Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission, as applied in earlier writ petitions, including W.P. No. 38309 of 2024.

Under that approach, amounts due to a petitioner may be adjusted against its current-consumption or open-access charges until exhausted, and the electricity connection should not be disconnected while that adjustment is pending.

The Court treated the matter as covered by prior decisions involving the same issue.

Relying on the terms reproduced from those decisions, it disposed of the petition on the same basis, directing adjustment of the amount due against the petitioner’s current-consumption and demand charges and protection against disconnection until the amount was exhausted.

The judgment does not separately examine or make an express finding on the disputed amount of ₹13,31,700.

The connected miscellaneous petition was closed, with no order as to costs.