E-Paper
Shepherd electrocuted to death by illegal live wire in Pune; farmer booked
Incident happened at Somatane village in Maval taluka, according to the complaint.
A farmer has been booked by the Pimpri-Chinchwad police for drawing electricity illegally, which cost a shepherd his life.
The deceased man has been identified as Rama Babu Pandule (60) who lived with his son in Purandar. However, he did not have a fixed address. The two are natives of Baramati taluka.
On July 17 around 9am, Pandule’s sheep were grazing the field, when one of the sheep strayed on the road in Somatane village in Maval taluka, according to the complaint.
“His son told us that on of their sheep strayed and got stuck to a metal fence near a roadside field. The deceased man tried to save the sheep and got stuck to the fence himself. The son realised what had happened and called for help,” said police sub-inspector Dattatray Nagargoje of Shirgaon police outpost in jurisdiction of Talegaon Dabhade police station.
Pandule died along with sheep on the spot, according to the police.
The body was taken to a local government hospital for post-mortem. The doctors informed the police that the man died due to shock caused by electrocution, according to the police.
“We had registered an accidental death case when it first happened. We called for an expert from Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) to the spot for an opinion. The expert submitted a report which revealed that the fence was running a charge due to contact with an illegal line that the farmer had drawn for irrigation pump on his field,” said PSI Nagargoje.
The farm belongs to Vasant Dattatray Murhe who was booked in the case. He had used a metal hook to connect the pump on his field with the main electricity line.
A case under Sections 304(a) (causing death due to negligence), 429 (mischief by killing or maiming cattle, of any value or any animal of the value of fifty rupees) of the Indian Penal Code along with Section 135 of the Indian Electricity Act, 2003, has been registered at Talegaon Dabhade police station.
