Discom officials booked for laxity as 3-year-old electrocuted to death

The police on Sunday booked officials of the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) for negligence, which allegedly led to the death of a three-year-old boy

Published on: Feb 3, 2020, 23:50:29 IST

By Leena Dhankhar, Gurugram

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The police on Sunday booked officials of the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) for negligence, which allegedly led to the death of a three-year-old boy who was electrocuted after coming in contact with a live wire in Khandsa on the Delhi -Jaipur Expressway, the police said.

The incident took place around 1.30pm on January 30 at Khansa in Sector 37. The deceased, Aarav Sharma, came in contact with the high-tension cable while playing on the rooftop of his house, the police said. He was rushed to Civil Hospital in Sector 10 where doctors declared him dead.

The police investigation revealed that adequate precautions were not taken and safety measures were ignored. The incident could have been avoided, the police said. “The wires should not have been so close to the roof and there should have been a proper inspection, but despite repeated complaints no action was taken by DHBVN officials,” Preet Pal Sangwan, assistant commissioner of police (crime), said.

The police said they are yet to identify the employees responsible for maintaining the cables in the area. “A report was sought from the DHBVN in this regard. “After it was revealed that the death was caused due to electric shock, we registered a case,” Sangwan said. “We are investigating to check who is responsible, after which further action will be taken,” Sangwan said.

The officials have been booked under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 304 (causing death by negligence) and 34 (common intention). A complaint in this regard was lodged by the father of the deceased boy, blaming three officials of the discom.

The police said the family and neighbours had stated that they would stage a protest on Monday at the DHVBN office if a case was not registered against those responsible for the death. After the incident, locals in the area alleged that low-hanging wires have been a problem in the colony for the last few years but their efforts to get these cables removed have been futile so far.

The DHBVN’s superintending engineer, Joginder Singh Hooda, said that the executive engineer of the department had visited the spot and submitted a report. “A room and a toilet had been illegally constructed in the house horizontally and vertically encroaching upon the road. The negligence on our part is that the official concerned should have sent a notice to the family to demolish the illegal construction. Action will be initiated against the official who has failed to perform his duty,” he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More