Boy dies of electric shock at PBEL city

Hyderabad: A day after the death of a six-year-old boy due to electrocution at PBEL City, a gated community, the Narsingi police has booked a case against the builder, welfare association and also the agency that has been given the contract to take care of the electrical wiring.

Monish, son of techie Diwakar, from Chennai, was studying at a private school in Bandlaguda and lived with his parents at PBEL City.

At around 6.30 pm on Monday, Monish and some other children were playing on the lawns of the complex where hundreds of residents were also present, spending their leisure time on the lawns.

Community residents argue with the maintenance authority of the PBEL city.

Monish, while playing, went near a lamp-post and held it to swing from. He was electrocuted and was frozen for a while before collapsing.

The entire incident was captured on the residential complex's CCTV cameras. It shows that the boy was seen unattended for at least three to five minutes.

Residents of the gated community on Tuesday inspect the pole that is said to have caused the shock which resulted in the boy’s death.

When the residents noticed Monish lying on the ground, they shifted him to a room to provide first-aid, but it was too late by then.

Inspector G.V. Ramana Goud of the Narsingi police told this newspaper that, “It is not clear if the boy suffered electrocution after touching the iron lamp-post or he stepped on the electric wires that were left loose. The parents of the boy have not lodged a complaint, but the residents have complained, alleging negligence by the builders, the agency that looks after the electrical works, and also the welfare association.” The boy’s body was taken to Chennai on Monday night, as it is his native place.

The Chennai police were informed about the incident and asked that the case be transferred there.

“After speaking to the parents of the child, a complaint was lodged at a concerned police station in Chennai. We have asked the Chennai police officials to perform an inquest and post-mortem examination and transfer the case to Telangana for investigation. A case under sections 336, 337, 338 and 304 A of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against the builders of the gated community, INCOR, an agency that looks after the maintenance, Gold Star, and also the residents’ welfare association. Nobody has been arrested in the case yet,” said Inspector Goud.