One team from BESCOM, one from police, a third from Electricity department and a fourth, an independent body, will investigate the death.
Soundarya, who was electrocuted with her infant daughter in Bengaluru on Sunday, 19 November, 2023. (Supplied)
Karnataka Energy Minister KJ George on Tuesday, 21 November, said 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.
Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday said 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.
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.
“We are conducting an inquiry by four teams to make sure that those responsible are held accountable and face action,” he said.
The minister said he would make sure that there are no dangling wires on the roads that have ducts exclusively for such cables.
He said that within 15 days, the telecom companies would have to shift their overhead wires to the ducts, failing which the electricity department would remove them.
The minister said five employees of BESCOM, including two officers, had been suspended in connection with the incident.
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 Sunday, 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.
BESCOM also issued show-cause notices to the Superintendent Engineer of East Circle Lokesh Babu and the Executive Engineer of Whitefield Division Sriramu. They have been asked to explain in three days.
Minister George announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh to the victims’ family on Sunday. He also urged all the engineers of power supply companies in the state to ensure the prevention of such incidents.
(With PTI inputs)
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