GADAG: On Monday night, a 12-year-old boy was electrocuted after he touched an electric pole at the Janata Plot area in Gajendragad in the Gadag district. The incident occurred when Pankaj was playing with his friends and accidentally went close to the electric pole and touched it. Neighbours rushed to the spot and told other children to stay away from the pole.
They tried calling staff and the contractors, but as there was no response, the residents staged a protest. They also raised slogans against HESCOM. The protesters accused the staff of ignoring their responsibility while taking up road repair work. National Highway work is in progress on Gajendragad–Yelaburga Road in Gajendragad town.
The residents say that some staff have left the work incomplete. There was electric current passing through the pole, which claimed the life of the boy.
Gajendragad PSI Nagaraj Gadad visited the spot and pacified the protesters. He promised that action will be taken against the guilty.
The victim’s father, Ramu Kalal said, “Pankaj was very dear to us. If the workers had properly completed the work, our son would be alive today. We did not know about the electric current passing through the pole. Otherwise, we would not have allowed any child to play around it.”