NHRC seeks personal appearance of Odisha DGP, Power Secretary over electrocution death
May 30, 2021
New Delhi [India], May 30 : The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued conditional summons against DGP Odisha and Principal Secretary Department of Energy Government of Odisha to personally appear before the Commission on June 08, along with the requisite reports in a case related to electrocution death and injury in Panchutikiri Panchayat in Chandbali Block of Bhadrak district in Odisha.
The NHRC sought reports related to the criminal case registered in the matter and departmental action taken against the guilty North Eastern Electricity Supply Company of Odisha Limited (NESCO) department officials for their negligence and dereliction of duty.
Acting on a petition filed by noted social and human rights activist and Supreme Court lawyer, Radhakanta Tripathy, the NHRC sought the personal appearance of the Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) and Power Secretary over the electrocution death.
Tripathy had filed a petition before the NHRC, wherein an incident of electrocution death of the victim and another victim getting seriously injured has been mentioned which had occurred due to negligence of Electricity Department. Both the victims were kept lying on the road and no one came forward to rescue them, Tripathy alleged.
Pursuant to the direction of the NHRC, a report from the NESCO was submitted, he said.
The report of the NESCO, itself has stated that the accident has occurred because of negligence and non-maintenance of NESCO staff, due to which the electricity of 11 KV line attached to the ageing conductor had snapped from one side and fell on the road in charging condition leading to the death of one victim and another one got seriously injured, Tripathy said.
Further, only a penny sum of Rs 17,000 has only been paid to the next of the kith and kin of the deceased, as compensation and nothing has been paid to the injured victim, Tripathy claimed.
Therefore the NHRC issued a show-cause notice against the Chief Secretary Government of Odisha as why a sum of Rs 3 lakh and Rs 1 lakh not be recommended as compensation to the victim's and the injured's relatives respectively.
In the incident, Santanu Biswal, died due to electrocution and Kedar Barik sustained burn injuries because of the negligence of the electricity department, Tripathy said.
The NHRC also directed the Chief Secretary to send the treatment details of the injured victim, within four weeks.
The NHRC directed further the DGP Odisha to send the details of the criminal case registered in the matter and action taken against the guilty within four weeks.
Principal Secretary Department of Energy Government of Odisha is also directed to send the details of departmental action taken against the guilty NESCO department officials for their negligence and dereliction of duty, as per the report of Executive Engineer-cum-Deputy Electrical Inspector Bhadrak.
Since the State failed to submit any report, the NHRC directed the Chief Secretary Government of Odisha to send the compliance report of payment and the treatment details of the injured victim, within four weeks.
The NHRC further observed that the personal appearance of the officials shall be dispensed with, if the requisite reports received in the Commission one week prior to the scheduled date i.e. June 8.
Pertinent to mention here that the victim's family including the Panchayat has been severely hit by the recent cyclone, Yaas.
