Activa-borne man electrocuted after hitting transformer on potholed road in Zirakpur

The 33-year-old was the only child of his parents, and due to get married in October; accusing the Zirakpur municipal council and Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) of negligence, the victim’s kin staged a protest at the accident site on Sunday.

A 33-year-old man lost his life in a freak accident near Milton Tower in Zirakpur on late Saturday night as he came in contact with low-lying wires of an electricity transformer after his Activa hit a waterlogged pothole.

Victim Girish Goyal, who was the only child of his parents, was due to get married in October. (HT File)

The deceased was identified as Girish Goyal, a resident of Maya Garden Phase-3, Zirakpur.

As per the police, Goyal, who runs an Ayurvedic medicine shop on VIP Road, had gone to get food from the market around 11pm. While returning, he lost control over the Activa after it hit a pothole and rammed into a transformer. Passersby took him to a private hospital where doctors declared him dead.

Kin stage protest

Accusing the Zirakpur municipal council and Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) of negligence, the victim’s kin staged a protest at the accident site on Sunday.

Girish was the only child of his parents and was due to get married in October this year. The kin of the deceased have demanded legal action against negligent officials of the municipal council and the powercom.

Inquiry marked

Zirakpur sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Himanshu Gupta has marked an inquiry into the matter. He said, “The exact cause of the accident will come to fore in the inquiry. Thereafter, we will fix responsibility of the MC and PSPCL officials concerned. I have sought the report within seven days. We will look into post-mortem report.”

Derabassi tehsildar Kuldeep Singh also reached the spot to take stock of the situation and pacify the family.

Sukhdev Chaudhary, the president of the joint action committee (JAC), residents welfare association, Zirakpur, said, “Residents had been complaining about the potholes for the past several months and even submitted the complaint to the MC but no action was taken. We demand a criminal case against the MC and PSPCL officials.”

PSPCL executive engineer, Zirkapur, HS Oberoi, said, “I have come to know that a youngster died of electrocution after coming in contact with a transformer on VIP Road. I don’t know if the wires were low-lying but I will get it checked.”

Zirakpur municipal council president Udayveer Singh Dhillon, said, “Officials had been told to repair all roads before the onset of monsoon. Therefore, negligent officials will be taken to task.”

Area councilor Yadvinder Sharma said, “We raised the issue of road repairs several times in the MC House but no attention was paid. There is nothing under the control of the government.”