KASARAKOD(UTTARA KANNADA): A man and woman were electrocuted after coming into contact with a fallen overhead cable line in front of their house at Honnavar in Uttara Kannada district.
The deceased were identified as Santosh Gouda and his wife, Seetha. Santosh touched the 11 KV line that had fallen on to his house gate last evening. As he screamed for help, Seetha rushed in and beat him with a stick in an effort to free him.
“Hearing their screams, two youth from the neighbourhood rushed to the nearby Hescom control room and asked them to disconnect the power line. The power supply was disconnected for a few seconds and then was brought back.
At that time Seetha touched Santosh thinking he was out of danger and in the process she too got electrocuted,” said Rajesh Gouda, a neighbour. Their elder son, Nagraj, when tried to help his mother was flung a few yards away due to electric shock. The neighbours rushed the couple to a hospital where they were declared dead on arrival.
The villagers staged a dharna in the hospital blaming Hescom staff for the mishap and demanded action against the authorities. Honnavar Police Inspector Siddarameshwara said that a case of negligence has been lodged against the local lineman, AEE and those in the Control room.
“We will take forward the case after the Electrical Inspectorate visits the spot and gives a report,” he said. Mankal Vaidya, Minister for Port and Fisheries, visited the family and consoled the grieving family members. He assured a fair investigation and compensation to the family.
He has promised a job for Nagaraj and said would take care of educational expense of, the younger son, Raghavendra. Santosh, a daily wager in Honnavar, was a native of Kalasinamote. He had built a house on his wife’s property and was living there with his family.