He said that he was of the view that it is necessary to implead the officers as parties or respondents to this proceedings.
Published Nov 22, 2023 | 7:46 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 22, 2023 | 7:46 PM
Nine-month-old Suvikha and her mother Soundarya (23), victims of electrocution in Bengaluru. (Supplied)
Karnataka Lokayukta BS Patil registered a case on his own in connection with the electrocution of a 23-year-old woman and her nine-month-old baby in Bengaluru.
Taking note of news reports about the death of the woman and child after coming in contact with a live wire lying on the footpath in Whitefield on Sunday, 19 November, he issued a notice to seven officers, including the Additional Chief Secretary in the Energy Department, Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) Managing Director, BESCOM Chief Engineer, and BESCOM Superintending Engineer.
“I am of the view to exercise the power conferred on me under Section 7(1)(b) of the Karnataka Lokayukta Act, 1984. Accordingly, I exercise my suo motu power and the office is directed to register these proceedings as suo motu proceeding,” Patil, a former Karnataka High Court judge, said in his order.
He said that he was of the view that it is necessary to implead the officers as parties or respondents to this proceedings and issue notice to them and call for comments from them.
“The Officers/Officials referred to above are given two weeks time to submit their report/comments i.e., on or before 8 December 2023,” the Lokayukta said in his order.
Posting the matter to 8 December, Patil said that a detailed report should be obtained from the Superintendent of Police in the City Division of Karnataka Lokayukta in Bengaluru.
The Lokaukta directed the SP to conduct a spot inspection to carry out the necessary investigation with regard to the incident and submit a report by the next date of the hearing.
Karnataka Energy Minister KJ George said, on Tuesday, that four teams have been constituted to investigate the case of electrocution of a woman and her nine-month-old daughter at Whitefield on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
George said one team from Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM), another from the police, a third from the state Electricity department, and a fourth, which will be an independent body, will investigate the deaths.
Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), on Tuesday, said that it has issued notice to the Government of Karnataka over the death of a woman and her child due to electrocution on a footpath in Bengaluru. It has sought a detailed report on the matter within six weeks.
The NHRC said in a release that it had taken suo motu cognisance of a media report.
The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights, which is a matter of concern. “The reported incident, apparently, indicates the negligence of the electricity department of Bengaluru.”
Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Karnataka, calling for a detailed report on the matter within six weeks.
The report should include the status of the FIR, action taken against the officials responsible for the lapses and compensation, if any, granted to the next of kin of the deceased, it added.
On 19 November, around 5:30 am, Soundarya, 23, along with her husband Santhosh Kumar, 24, and their daughter Suviksha arrived in Bengaluru by bus after celebrating Deepavali in Tamil Nadu’s Cuddalore, the man’s hometown.
The young woman was carrying Suviksha along with a bag while Kumar followed them. Soundarya accidentally stepped on a live electric wire that was lying on the footpath at the Hope Farm Signal and was electrocuted instantly.
Kumar’s efforts to save his family went in vain as he, too, suffered an electric shock. The mother and daughter died on the road, barely 100 metres from BESCOM’s office in the area.
In an official statement, BESCOM called the incident a non-departmental fatal electrical accident.
It said, “The F-9 of BPL feeder at Kadugodi tripped at 3:50 am and the same was charged at 3:55 am. Victims came in contact with 11KV snapped conductor as it had fallen on the footpath near Hope Farm Signal and got electrocuted around 5:30 am.”
The five suspended BESCOM officials — Assistant Executive Engineer of E-4 Sub-Division, Subramanya T; Assistant Engineer of E-4 Sub-Division, Chetan S; Junior Engineer of E-4 Sub-Division Rajanna; Junior Powerman Manjunath Revanna; and Lineman Basavaraju — were charged for dereliction of duties and a detailed investigation.
(With PTI inputs)
