Shopkeeper held responsible for deaths; civic agency also docked

INQUIRY ALSO HELD LOCAL STAFF AND LINEMAN OF ELECTRICITY DEPARTMENT PARTIALLY RESPONSIBLE

GHAZIABAD: An inquiry into the incident that led to death by electrocution of five persons on September 1 in Rakesh Marg locality has held the shopkeeper ”fully responsible” for the incident, while also holding the local staff of the electricity department and the municipal corporation were ”partially responsible” on account of lax supervision.

The Ghaziabad police has also registered an FIR on the incident against the shop owner and the shopkeeper.

On September 1, five persons, including three minor girls, were electrocuted to death at a local grocery shop on Gali No. 3 after they allegedly came in contact with the iron poles supporting a newly laid tin roof erected outside the shop. The deceased were identified as Shubhi alias Surbhi Paswan (4), Khushi Kumari (10) and Simran Kumari (11), 24-year-old man Laxmi Narayan and Jaanki Paswan, 35, who was mother of victim girl, Shubhi.

According to area residents and the police, the iron poles started conducting electricity and the heavy waterlogging on the street that day due to rain also aided the flow of current.

“The inquiry has found shopkeeper Ramesh Mahto fully responsible for the incident while shop owner, Sushil Kumar, is also partially responsible as he did not stop the shopkeeper from erecting the tin roof in an unauthorised manner,” said Shailendra Kumar, additional district magistrate (city) and the officer heading the inquiry.

The inquiry also brought to light that fact that iron roof and poles started conducting electricity on account of damp walls and high power cables hanging low over the shop. It also took into account the statements given by local residents and also the site inspection carried out by the committee members.

“The local staff and lineman of the electricity department seem to be partially responsible as they were lax in their work — they should have worked more sensitively to check hanging wires, illegal connections and cut-off electricity cables. Similarly, the local staff of the corporation should have removed the shed which was put up in an unauthorised manner. The senior officials of these two departments will look into these concerns,” the ADM (city) said.

MS Tanwar, municipal commissioner, could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts.

Pankaj Srivastava, chief engineer of Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Limited, said there was no laxity on the part of his staff. “Our department is not responsible for the incident. We are yet to receive the report and will be able to comment on it once we have received it,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Ghaziabad police booked the shop owner Sushil Kumar and shopkeeper Ramesh Mahto in an FIR lodged under Indian Penal Code Section 336 (rash or negligent act to endanger human life) at the Sihani Gate police station.

The FIR was lodged on a complaint given by Badri Narayan, the father of victim Laxmi Narayan. “We levied IPC 336 on the basis of the complaint given by a victim family. Based on further investigation, that section may be changed by the investigating officer. Henceforth, arrests will take place,” said Nipun Agarwal, superintendent of police (city 1).