Suspend officials who permitted structure under high-tension wires, demand deceased boys’ parents

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Five days after the unfortunate deaths of two children due to electrocution, the parents staged a protest outside the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike office in Mahalakshmi Layout alleging the negligence of the officials to be the cause of the children’s death.

Supreeth, 11, and Chandan, 13, had sustained severe burn injuries on December 1 when they accidentally came in contact with a high-tension power line while trying to catch pigeons that were on the wire on the terrace of their building near Nandini Layout.

The boys allegedly used an iron rod to catch the birds and were electrocuted in the process. The children were rushed to Victoria Hospital, where it was revealed that Supreeth had received 75% burn injuries while Chandan had suffered nearly 90% burn injuries.

Both of them, however, died on Sunday without responding to the treatment. The Nandini Layout police said that no complaint had been filed against any civic agency or official regarding this incident. It was said that the complaint was not filed by the parents because their house was built in violation of the law, as it is illegal to build houses at the spot where a high-tension wire passes through the roof.

Meanwhile, as the BBMP Executive Engineer, Thimmarasu, visited the spot for an inspection, he was surrounded by the parents, residents, and several activists from the Jaya Karnataka Forum, who took him to the task on Friday.

The official, attempting to calm them down, said that the parents have been promised compensation of Rs 50,000 for their loss. However, his statement triggered more anger from the parents who refused to accept the compensation and demanded action against the BBMP officials who allowed the building to be constructed under the high tension wire and also against BESCOM officials who provided connection to the building despite knowing that it is dangerous, they said.

As the protest was being carried out, Thimmarasu addressed the group and said that the investigation into this case is going on. “If the parents have any issues, they are open to filing a complaint. We will investigate and matter,” he said.