VELLORE; A youth was killed due to electrocution after he came into contact with an electrified fence that was erected illegally in a farmland at Pallikuppam village near Gudiyattam. S Santhosh Kumar (20) was found dead at the land owned by D Mahadevan (65) on Tuesday. Police source said that Mahadevan went to his land in the early hours and found Santhosh Kumar lying dead. Following information, police reached the spot and retrieved the body.

“Mahadevan had cultivated sugarcane and groundnut crops in his two-acre land and erected an electric fence around it illegally to prevent wild animals from damaging crops. Santhosh, unaware of the electric fences, presumably walked into it before being electrocuted,” the police source said. When contacted, Deputy Superintendent of Police N Balakrishnan told TNIE, “We have begun an investigation to ascertain as to how the deceased came into contact with the fence and the reason why he had gone there.” A case was registered following a complaint by Santhosh’s father, Saravanan. Mahadevan was arrested under Section 304(2) (Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of IPC and the Electricity Act, 2003. 

Mass awareness program
District Forest Officer (DRO), Vellore, K Bhargava Teja told TNIE, “We have sent a proposal to the State government regarding the creation and maintenance of ‘Elephant Proof Trenches (EPTs)’ across the bordering areas.” A mass awareness program for villagers living in the areas adjoining Reserved Forests is also to be conducted by Forest department officials along with officials from the electricity department and the district administration, Bhargava Teja added.