9-year-old boy dead due to electrocution in Ulhasnagar

A nine-year-old boy who went to swim in a fountain in Ulhasnagar with his friends was dead due to electrocution after his hand touched an electric pole on Friday evening

A nine-year-old boy who went to swim in a fountain in Ulhasnagar with his friends died due to electrocution after his hand touched an electric pole on Friday evening. Vithalwadi police are investigating the matter and Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) officials are trying to find out the fault and the person responsible in the matter.

Vinod Parivar, the nine-year-old boy who was declared dead due to electrocution in Ulhasnagar on Friday. (HT FILE PHOTO)

The boy, Vinod Parivar, was a Class 3 student and a resident of camp No. 4. The incident occurred at Venus Chowk fountain built by UMC.

Prem Parivar, 32, father of the boy, said, “Every day, he goes to school at 12 noon and returns by 5.30pm. The school is 15 minutes away from our home. On Friday, after he went to the school, he didn’t return till 6.15pm. I was about to go out in search of him when some people brought him in an auto rickshaw. They said that he was electrocuted. I didn’t understand anything. I just saw him unconscious and went almost blank. After taking him to a hospital, the doctor told me that he was no more. I collapsed.

“I have two children and was hoping that they will study well. We lost him because of the carelessness of the authorities who allowed children to enter the fountain and moreover they kept a live wire open on the light pole attached to the water fountain. How will children understand that they are not supposed to touch it.”

The boy used to go to school with his friends and returned with them. According to the family, all the boys decided to have fun in the fountain and therefore they took a break. Before reaching home, they went to the fountain.

Karan Singh, a passer-by who saw two persons trying to remove a boy who was stuck to the pole, said, “We were in an auto rickshaw and saw two persons with the help of a wooden rod trying to remove the boy who was stuck to the pole. We immediately stopped, helped them to remove him and took him in the same three-wheeler to his house and later to the hospital.”

Prajakta Kulkarni, UMC PRO, said, “We are checking whose fault it was in the matter. We will inquire into the matter and will take action against the person responsible.”

Vithalwadi police registered an Accidental Death Report and are waiting for the report from the UMC.