Two Delhi teens electrocuted to death in RK Puram as storms wreak havoc

HT found electricity wires wrapped around many trees and passing through them along the footpath, to cater to multiple vends operating in the vicinity

Two boys aged 16 and 17, and a community dog were electrocuted as intense thunderstorms in the early hours of Sunday caused trees to fall and damage electric wires, which fell on a footpath outside a roadside food stall in RK Puram Sector 1, where the three of them were sleeping, police said.

The spot of the incident. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

Police said the wires that were damaged were connected to electrical appliances at the stall and an air-cooler placed at the spot. They are probing if there was power pilferage in the case at hand. They identified the victims as Bharat Kumar, 16, and Arvind Kumar, 17, from Madhubani in Bihar.

Police said the owner of the food stall, Sunil Paswan, who is also from Bihar and lives in Najafgarh, called them around 4.30am about the incident that took place on the footpath right opposite the Bhikaji Cama fire station at Vivekanand Marg. “Paswan told police that his two employees were sleeping outside the kiosk as per routine. Due to heavy rain and a storm during the night, a tree fell on the kiosk, damaging an electric wire and causing current to flow near the premises. Both employees and a dog came into contact with the live wire,” deputy commissioner of police (southwest) Amit Goel said.

Officials of the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) and police disconnected the power supply and took the two injured boys to AIIMS Trauma Centre, where they were declared dead on arrival. DCP Goel said mobile forensic teams and power company officials also examined the site.

Fifty-eight-year-old Suryanand Singh, who works for another food stall and stays on the footpath, said the boys and Paswan’s brother, Ramu Paswan, were sleeping at the spot when the incident took place. “Ramu and the two boys were sleeping next to the stall. At roughly 3.45am, a tree in front of the stall fell, tearing the tarpaulin under which they were sleeping. The two boys ran to the left, where a broken electrical wire fell,” he said.

He said that there are around five food stalls in the area and it was a common practice for workers to sleep on the footpath.

During a spot check by HT on Sunday afternoon, the dog’s carcass was still found at the site of the incident. An official with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), who was at the spot, said they would remove the carcass as soon as possible.

HT also found electricity wires wrapped around many trees and passing through them along the footpath, to cater to multiple vends operating in the vicinity.

The incident left many other workers tense. Others at the spot said the trees were loose as they were planted after the construction of the footpath and so, did not have deep roots. “I do not want to work here anymore, because I feel scared,” said Sarvan Kumar, 38, who owns a food stall adjoining the victims’. He said he is looking to switch jobs, as he did not feel safe in the area anymore.

The relatives of the dead teenagers blamed the dhaba owner for the boys’ deaths and accused him of making them work in inhumane conditions, claiming long hours, minimal wages and lack of accommodation.

“Firstly, Paswan misled the police by telling them that my cousin Arvind Kumar’s age was 30, while he was only 17. It’s confirmed by his Aadhaar card as well. Secondly, he made the workers sleep in the open on the footpath near the dhaba, while he lives in a house. He should be held responsible for the death of my cousin and the other teenage worker,” said Arvind’s cousin Prem Kumar, a civil services aspirant.

However, Paswan defended himself, saying that he stays at the site too, and goes home only on Saturday to wash his clothes and make arrangements for the rest of the week. “I stay here too. My brother Ramu was also here at the time of the incident and he suffered mild shock too. He called me immediately after the incident and I rushed to the spot. By the time I reached, police were also there,” he said.

Police said no case was filed into the incident. They said the victims’ relatives in Bihar were informed and an autopsy will be conducted on Monday.