2 including 12-year-old electrocuted in separate cases in Delhi

A 12-year-old boy was allegedly electrocuted in the DDA colony in Bindaur, Dwarka, southwest Delhi, after he went to play in the water that was logged in the area due to the heavy downpour on Wednesday evening, police said, adding that the incident occurred allegedly because of two disconnected electric cables which were left open.

However, a BSES official said the discom carried out an inspection of the site on Thursday, adding that the wires did not belong to it and were internet connection cables.

According to the victim’s father, the residents of the area had complainedto BSES about the open wires as some children and a dog felt the shock about 10 days ago. He alleged that no action was taken in the matter. BSES did not comment on these allegations.

Deputy commissioner of police (Dwarka), Ankit Singh, said that the boy was identified as Mudit Kumar. “Our control room received a call at 7.36pm regarding the incident. When police reached the spot, they were informed that the boy had been taken to a nearby hospital. He was subsequently taken to a higher facility where he was declared dead on arrival,” Singh said.

Police said the boy’s father, Raman Kumar, 36, said his son was electrocuted near the house. “When investigators inspected the spot, they found ‘two plastic pipes containing disconnected electric cables were emerging from underground and these cables were tied to a wall near a flat’,” the DCP said.

A case under section 106 (1) (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered. “We are looking to ascertain if there was any negligence,” the officer added.

Kumar said that Mudit, a Class 7 student, had returned from tuition when the incident took place. “Around 7pm, it was raining and water got logged in the street. His friends were playing downstairs, he kept his bag and in less than a minute, left to play in the water with his friends,” Kumar, a manager at a private bank in Dwarka, said.

Soon, his friends informed Kumar’s wife that Mudit had been electrocuted and was not moving. “They said that some of them had felt the current too but the intensity was less. Mudit felt the shock strongly. When his friends tried to pull him, they felt the shock too, so they did not try again. Some neighbours then used wooden sticks to push him to the side and then pulled him out,” Kumar added.

Kumar blamed the open wires in the area for his son’s death, something that he also mentioned in the FIR. “Electrical wires in our area were laid out in the open. There was live current in the wires. Strict action should be taken against BSES officials in the matter,” the FIR, seen by HT, said.

“We complained about the open wires about 10 days ago. They did nothing except put some mud on those wires to cover them. They did not even tape the wires,” he added.

Another resident of the colony, Sagar Singh, 34, said the condition of the residential area is poor. “There is waterlogging every time it rains. The wires are open. Last night, even the police were walking with caution,” said Singh.

According to a BSES official, the tragedy occurred “despite the division team shutting off power supply due to waterlogging”.

“A site inspection conducted today revealed no electrical leakage at the premises and the street light poles were found to be properly maintained. It is important to clarify that the two plastic pipes containing disconnected cables, which were found emerging from underground, do not belong to the discom and appear to be internet wires. The exact cause of the incident is still not known and we are co-operating with the authorities in the investigation,” the official said.

The family said that Mudit was a bright kid who had participated in district-level Taekwondo competitions. “He had started training when he was three. He had several medals in Taekwondo as well. He had a bright future which has been cut short because of the recklessness of government officials,” the boy’s father said.

Man electrocuted in Jaitpur

In a second incident, a 28-year-old man was electrocuted at his home in Jaitpur, southeast Delhi, on Wednesday night. Police said the victim, Prabhat Singh, was enjoying the rain on his terrace when he allegedly got electrocuted and died on the spot.

DCP (southeast), Rajesh Deo, said Singh was the son of sub-inspector Ombir Singh deployed in the PCR department. Police received a call about the incident around 8pm from the victim’s family.

“No foul play is suspected. During the rain, he went to his terrace where there was a leakage of current, or maybe he came in contact with the water tank alarm system. There are no eyewitnesses. So, the exact cause of electrocution is being verified,” Deo said.

“Preliminary reports indicate that the tragedy occurred due to an electrical leakage from a water tank alarm system installed on the terrace, which came into contact with an open internal wire of the premises. We wish to clarify that the discom is not involved in this incident,” a BSES official said.

Around the same time, an 18-year-old man was also suspected to have died of electrocution in the Sangam Vihar area. Police said they are conducting an inquiry and waiting for the autopsy report to verify the facts, as the victim had slipped and fallen on the road, which was waterlogged. Some locals alleged there were exposed wires at the site.

The victim, Anil Kumar, worked as a ragpicker and was living with his elder brother in E block, Sangam Vihar.

DCP (south) Ankit Chauhan said that Kumar was returning home after buying vegetables when the incident occurred. “According to the information we have, he was close to his house when he suddenly slipped and fell. We do not know if he died due to the fall or was electrocuted. He was rushed to the hospital where he was declared dead on arrival,” Chauhan said.