Palwal: Youth electrocuted, villagers block traffic

Palwal, May 11

Traffic movement on the Jatola-Asawati road in the district remained disrupted for about three hours due to a blockade by residents of Jatola village today. They were protesting the death of a youth who was electrocuted by a high-tension line that fell on him this morning.

The protesters, who blamed the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (power department) for negligence, ended the blockade after intervention by the district authorities.

The incident took place at around 8.30 am when Sunil (27), a resident of the village who was employed as a guard in a private company, was on his way to work. A high-tension power line passing overhead fell on him, resulting in his death.

The victim succumbed to burn injuries. Enraged kin and other villagers, who assembled at the main road, blocked traffic by keeping the body on the road and refused to cremate it till registration of a case.

Alleging that the death occurred due to negligence of the power department, Dharambir, father of the victim, claimed that the incident took place as the department failed to repair the 11,000 KV line that had been sparking for the past few days.

He said though a complaint had been lodged with the DHBVN, the line was not repaired. Demanding legal action against officials, the villagers sought financial help for the family of the deceased.