NHRC asks UP Govt. to explain why compensation were not paid

Taking action in a case of deaths due to electrocution in Aligarh, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) held officials of Power department and Municipal Corporation responsible.

The Commission has issued notices to Chief Secretary and said why should Rs 3 lakh compensation each to the kin of the three victims not be recommended to be paid. 

In its order on Wednesday, the Commission gave the UP government four weeks time to respond.

The Commission had registered a case on the basis of a complaint that on July 17, 2016 a street was flooded after rain and water was entering the houses in a localityin Aligar . Municipal officials were requested to pump out the water but they did not do so. In the meantime, wife of the complainant tried to manually flush out water but she was electrocuted due to electric current in the water, that leaked from a nearby pole. 

On hearing her screams, her son rushed to save her but he too was electrocuted. The complainant's daughter too met the same fate.

Noticing this from his roof, the complainant alerted his neighbours and requested them to inform the sub-station to shut down power supply to the area but no one attended the phone there. 

After an hour, many people reached the power sub-station and made a hue and cry, then only power supply was shut down. The complainant alleged that due to the negligence of Power department and Nagar Nigam, Aligarh, three members of his family lost their lives.

He also informed that on his complaint, police registered an FIR against officials of Power department and Nagar Nigam, Aligarh, but officials of both departments were mounting pressure on him to withdraw the case. 

During the course of enquiry, the Commission found that allegations against the Power department as well as Municipal Corporation were true. It observed that the report of Executive Engineer, Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitraran Nigam Limited, Aligarh, did not inspire confidence in the absence of any evidence to support his argument that the occupants of the house were electrocuted because some domestic appliance, for which his department was not responsible.

It was also confirmed that despite requests, neither officials of Municipal Corporation pumped out water logged in the street nor officials of Power department shut down power supply timely. 

The Commission’s stand of holding the negligence of officials of Power department and Municipal Corporation responsible for the incident also got strength from the fact that after the completion of probe in case crime no. 501/2016 u/s 304 IPC, the police filed a chargesheet in the court against two employees of Municipal Corporation, Aligarh. 

Therefore, the Commission concluded that the state was vicariously liable for the dereliction of duty on part of its officials for which it needed to pay relief to the next of kin of the three deceased.