Bengaluru electrocution: Bescom was informed of live wire 1 hour before tragedy, says Lokayukta report | Bangalore News
Bengaluru electrocution: Bescom was informed of live wire 1 hour before tragedy, says Lokayukta report | Bangalore News
The police wing of Karnataka Lokayukta which is investigating the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd (Bescom) electrocution case that killed a woman and a nine-month-old daughter on November 19, in its report stated that Bescom was informed of the unattended live wire one hour before the tragedy and the officials’ negligence had led to the tragedy.
The 10-page report was submitted to Karnataka Lokayukta Justice B S Patil who took suo motu cognizance of the case.
According to officers, Bescom’s claim of rodents responsible for tripping two 11KV lines leading to weak point is ‘unfounded’.
Mahantesh Bilagi, Bescom managing director, had claimed that a short circuit caused by a rodent was the trigger for the accident that claimed the two lives.
A Lokayukta officer said, “The tragedy leading to the death of the woman and her baby is because of the negligence on the part of Bescom. During investigation it was found that the public had reported to Bescom’s call centre about an unattended live wire. However, no Bescom official responded promptly. If at all, the officials had responded, the tragedy could have been averted. This dereliction of duty is what caused the electrocution. The claim of rats causing tripping is also false.”
The officer also added that three Bescom engineers are accountable for the incident.
As part of the suo motu proceedings, Bescom will be given an opportunity to respond to the Lokayukta report and file its comments. Based on this, Lokayukta will be issuing a series of recommendations to the state government in order to mitigate such accidents in future.
Around 6 am on November 19, the woman Soundharya with her daughter in her arms stepped onto a wire which had fallen on the road while walking on a footpath near Hope Farm Junction in Kadugodi and got electrocuted. Later, officials said an independent distribution transformer of an apartment near Hope Farm Junction was short circuited by a rodent, leading to the conductor to snap.
Meanwhile, Bescom, after the incident, had suspended five officials from the power supply department — assistant executive engineer Subramanya T, assistant engineer Chetan S, junior engineer Rajanna, junior powerman Manjunath Revanna, and lineman Basavaraju — for negligence.
Power Minister K J George also stated that four independent investigations would be taken up to determine the cause of the accident. George said the findings of these reports would be used to prevent such accidents and also to initiate action against those responsible.
