MADURAI: A day after a husband and wife died of electrocution after coming in contact with a severed live wire in Madurai, family members of the deceased persons have demanded a hefty compensation, and want the state government to ensure that the couple's nine-year-old son is taken care of.
Sources said, S Murugesan (54) and his wife Papathy (42), of Duraisamy Road in TVS Nagar in Madurai, died of electrocution after they came in contact with a live wire that is believed to have got severed from an electric line due to heavy rain and lightning. The couple was on their way home in a two-wheeler and was returning from the grocery shop that they ran.
A relative of the couple said that their son, Santhosh (9), was moving ahead of them on the same road on his cycle. Santhosh had noticed the severed line and steered clear of it. But, Murugesan and Papathy may not have noticed the line. "The incident transpired right in front of the boy. The government should provide maximum compensation to the family and also take care of the boy," said the relative, and added that Murugesan and Papathy had started the grocery shop just two weeks ago.
An official from Tangedco said, the street light at the spot was not in working condition. So, the couple may have not noticed the severed line. "The government may take a final call on how compensation is to be given," said the officer. But, the officer refused to divulge details on who was responsible for the maintenance of the line. However, the officer claimed that it fell under the purview of the Madurai city corporation. A corporation official said the line was not laid properly by Tangedco. "They took an extension from a nearby pole and connected it to the street light. That line got severed by a tree branch in the rain," added the official. The Subramaniyapuram police have registered a case.