The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) to pay within six weeks, Rs 4 lakh towards compensation to the family of a person, who died of electrocution in 2002.
Justice K Ravichandrabaabu gave the direction while allowing a writ petition from Pappa and three others. According to the petitioner, her husband Elumalai, while rearing goats on the grazing field in Erungadu in Mettur, came into contact with a live wire hanging very low between KR Thoppur and Jalakandapuram and died due to electrocution on August 26, 2002. Hence, the TANGEDCO was liable to pay Rs 5 lakh towards compensation, she contended.
The Corporation denied the allegation that the wire was hanging very low and submitted that the land owner had raised the earth bund upto five feet. The man, carrying a three-feet long corn cob, came into contact with the live wire and died and it should be blamed on the land owner. On a direction, it submitted that the mandatory height of live cable carrying 110 kv was 20 ft in ordinary places and 23 feet on road margins.
The judge noted that even as per the submission of the corporation, the bund was 5 ft high and the corn cob 3 feet in length. So there was a solid 12 ft gap. The height of ordinary men ranged from 5 to six feet. Elumalai could have come into contact with the live cable only if he was 12 ft in height. Therefore, the contention of the petitioner that the cable was hanging very low had to be accepted, the judge said and directed the Corporation to pay compensation. After applying the multiplier method, the judge fixed it at Rs 4 lakh. It would attract 6% interest if the amount was not paid within six weeks, the judge added.