HUBBALLI: The Koppal police have booked cases against three people including the building owner where six students died of electrocution on Sunday morning. The other two offenders include local power supply official and hostel warden.
On Sunday morning, six students who had gone to the terrace of their hostel in Bannikatti area of Koppal were electrocuted after the flagpole fell on the electric line located just next to the terrace. While five students died on the spot, the sixth victim succumbed on the way to hospital.
Speaking with TNIE, the Koppal SP Renuka Sukumar said that its a gross violation of safety measures and the house owner should not have allowed the hostel mates to be so close to the electric wire. Similarly, the hostel warden who made the students pull down the rope is also been charged besides booking case of a local official from the Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company (GESCOM).
A local resident said that the hostel has about 60 students and on August 15 the students had a grand independence day celebrations. “We heard some noise around the electric line. By the time people ran to the terrace the students had died and fallen on each other. One of the boys who was still alive was shifted to hospital but he too died. The hostel warden must have had some caution before sending the students towards the terrace where electric lines are located so closely,” he noted.
The deceased hail from nearby villages and the families have been informed about the incident. The deceased students have been identified as Mallikarjun, Basavraj, Devaraj, Ganesh and Kumar. Soon after the incident the police, district administration and pontiff of Gavi Mutt in Koppal rushed to the tragedy site. The pontiff consoled the other children who were in shock after the incident.
The locals have demanded for the probe and are now questioning why did the students were sent to clean the flag post. “The warden has asked the students to get the rope from the flagpole and during which the incident has happened. The students are in fear and now returning to their hometown after the tragedy,” said a student from the hostel.