Kin of electrocution victim claim delayed response of Delhi power dept led to death

New Delhi, Jul 24 (PTI) The family members of the 26-year-old civil services aspirant who died due to electrocution here claimed on Wednesday that the power department did not timely respond to their calls, leading to his death.

The incident took place in Delhi's Patel Nagar on Monday when Nilesh Rai, a Ghazipur resident, was returning to his PG accommodation from a nearby library, according to police.

Nilesh slipped in a waterlogged street, grabbed an iron gate to regain balance and was electrocuted, they said.

"Had the electricity department responded on time, his life could have been saved," the deceased's grandfather Sashikant Rai said.

He said that many people who were trying to save the man, kept calling the electricity department repeatedly, but no one responded.

Describing the incident, Sashikant said while walking towards his PG, Nilesh slipped into a drain due to waterlogging and in an attempt to steady himself, grabbed the iron gate, and got electrocuted due to the live current passing through it.

Meanwhile, Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav has demanded Rs 1 crore compensation for Rai's family.

He said that the Delhi Congress will extend all possible help to get justice for the family of Rai.

The police on Wednesday said they are scanning CCTV footage and communicating with power discoms to understand the sequence of events that led to the death of the civil services aspirant.

"We are communicating with power discoms and reviewing CCTV footage to understand the sequence of events. So far, we have learned that an electricity wire from a water motor was touching the iron gate," a senior police officer said, adding that they will also be questioning Tata Power Discom.

The Delhi government also ordered a probe into the matter.

Two days after Rai's death, a Tata Power Discom official termed the incident "unfortunate" and said it was caused by electric current leakage from a customer's damaged motor wiring that had come in contact with the iron gate.

The company urged the public to be cautious during the monsoon season, follow safety guidelines such as avoiding waterlogged areas and staying clear of fallen wires, and promptly report any electrical hazards.

Rai's body was handed over to his family members after an autopsy and an FIR was registered on Monday under sections 106(1) (causing death by rash and negligent act) and 285 (danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation) of the BNS, the police said. PTI BM VIT NIT RPA