Alleged negligence on part of the authorities has put the life of a nine-year-old boy at risk after he came in contact with a live electricity wire on Friday night.
Saicharan was playing with three friends near Nagalingeshwara temple in Mahalakshmi Layout around 7 p.m. when the incident occurred. He sustained injuries and is in the Intensive Care Unit of a private hospital in Yeshwantpur.
The Nandini Layout police have registered an FIR against Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd. (Bescom) officials for negligence based on a complaint filed by Saicharan’s father, Basavaraj. His mother, Revathi, said Saicharan was playing with his friends on the street and came in contact with the live wire while picking up a ball near an electricity pole. “I was standing near the balcony and saw one of our neighbours screaming and running towards the pole. I too ran out of the house. When I reached, I saw my son lying unconscious. My neighbour tried to pull my son away from the live wire but he too suffered an electric shock,” she said.
Revathi managed to save her son by holding on to his shirt and hair and dragging him away from the wire. “We rushed our son to the nearest nursing home where doctors asked us to shift him to another hospital for further treatment. We’ve been told that the next 48 hours are critical,” she told reporters.
The family alleged that the problem was known and that they had raised a complaint with Bescom. A few days ago, two children in the neighbourhood reported receiving mild electric shocks when they came in contact with the wire while playing, but were not injured.
“Two days ago, my husband had raised a complaint about the live wire that was hanging dangerously near the pole but nothing was done by Bescom,” she said.
Contractor blamed
Bescom engineers conducted a spot inspection and issued a press note putting the blame on the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike. “The incident occurred due to negligence of Kumar Electricals, the street light maintenance contractor of the BBMP. The contractor has extended control wire using a thin insulated wire from one pole to the next one to which a street light is fitted,” stated the release.
According to officials, the wire used by the contractor was not a standard one for such extensions. It has been confiscated by the police. “Bescom has booked a case against the electric contractor of the BBMP,” the release stated.
Mayor visits boy
After visiting the injured boy in the hospital, Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun said the onus lies with Bescom.
“Bescom should be blamed for lapses. Video footage and photos show that the live wire was hanging within the reach of children,” she said. She said that the owner of an under construction building had flouted rules. “The same was informed by residents to Bescom but no action was taken,” she added.
In view of the model code of conduct, civic agencies were unable to make an announcement regarding financial assistance to the injured.