A 21-year-old youth was electrocuted early on Tuesday when he came in contact with a 11kV high tension line in Sabarinagar near a railway crossing at Kodigehalli in the city.
Two policemen, who tried to shift the body, also sustained injuries.
The deceased has been identified as Pavan, a native of Pandavapura in Mandya district. He came to the city just two weeks ago and was working as a daily wager. He stayed with his elder brother Suresh, also a labourer living in a shed near Sahakaranagar in Kodigehalli.
According to police, the incident occurred around 8:30 am when Pavan went to attend nature’s call. He died immediately on coming in contact with the high tension wire near the railway track in front of Samruddi Garden Apartments. A passerby informed the police who rushed to the spot. Constable Satish who tried to shift the body was electrocuted due to faulty earthing while sub inspector Arun escaped with minor injuries. They were rushed to a private hospital, where their condition is said to be stable. Police said the faulty earthing and rain on Monday night resulted in the mishap.
However, BESCOM officials countered that the incident occurred because the railways dumped mud, thereby reducing the distance between the wire and the ground. A BESCOM official, concerned with the area, on condition of anonymity, said soil had been dumped below the 11kV wire mounted on a 9-metre pole. “We keep a minimum clearance of 7-metres for such wires but this was reduced because of the piled-up soil. This led to the incident,” the official said. He added a minimum distance of 15 feet from the ground was maintained for high tension wires in the city.
The Kodigehalli police registered a case of negligence against the BESCOM Assistant Engineer and are investigating.