‘Pay Rs 2L to Bhadrak electrocution victim’s kin’

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the State Government to pay a compensation of Rs2 lakh to the family members of a 60-year-old man of Bhadrak district, who had died of electrocution on September 16, 2016.

The victim, Braja Kishore Sahu, of Badarupa village under Bansada police limits in Bhadrak district had come in contact with a live 11-KV electric wire while he was going to his paddy fields and died on the spot on the day. Conducting a hearing on a petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy, the commission has asked the Chief Secretary to send the compliance report along with the proof of the payment within six weeks.

The highest human rights body awarded the compensation based on a report of the Energy Department that blamed the concerned electricity distribution company responsible for the mishap.

The report submitted on May 5, 2017 stated that live wires were hanging to a two-metre low due to tilting of a pole for more than a year. Though informed, the Nesco officials did not take timely action to bring back the sagged conductor to a safe position.

After considering the report, the NHRC issued a show-cause notice asking the Chief Secretary as to why compensation of Rs2 lakh should not be recommended for the victim’s family.

In response to the notice, the Executive Engineer of Bhadrak, North Electrical Division, stated that the conductor was not snapped and was in safe condition on that day.